In recognition of the limited ability of many smallholder farmers in Myanmar to afford high-level certified seeds except for specific crops (e.g. hybrid sunflower or maize seed), two concurrent approaches are proposed: (a) encouraging and supporting the private sector to increase production of fully certified seed; and (b) developing a Quality Assured Seed (QAS) programme for small farmers who would multiply improved seed which, even though not fully meeting the requirements for seed certification, represented a big gain in genetic potential from retained seed used by most farmers at present.