The Community of Practice of Seed Security
Assessments for the Horn of Africa
Please, I am glad that you have taken
up this important and seed challenging topic on-line discussion. It is
good that I am just a day old, from a recent field post distribution monitoring
conducted on groundnut seeds distributed this year by ICRC at outreach
villages in South Sudan.
One of the responses got on the groundnut
variety was “the seeds were viable but shrivelled not sorted out and after
germination plant vigor raises eye brows by most farmers because some groundnut
plants show weaker performance on some spots randomly compared to others
growing vigorously”(groundnut plants are not growing uniformly).
a). Varietal suitability:
The unsuitability issue of varieties
deliverable inform of seed aid is absolutely true however, I can say; seed
aid workers cannot exclusively be held responsible for the faulty seed
intervention because this result as effects of mistakes along the seed
value chain. The plant breeders, quality control, formal seed sector drivers
(development drivers and enterprise) deeply contribute.
1. Formal
seed research stations and other breeders always disseminate sky high information
on new improved seeds that is not fully captured at all levels of the seed
value chain. There is need to administer and make sure similar simplified
information understandable made to different segment along the seed
value chain
2. Seed
quality control sectors in some cases manipulate (for their interest) realities
about a particular seed security to attract clients. Experience showed
that seed quarantine is no longer effective because of weaker supervision
from a designated sector. Although people are aware, there is need for
an increased awareness on paramount importance of seeds as compared to
food because quality food crop seeds produce quality lifesaving food
b). Seed security assessment:
Some readers may definitely concur with
me and others disagree because they think seed insecurity can be based
on single response of affected population/what they tell “we do not have
crop seeds”. For proper seed security assessment, such statement indicate
needs for thoroughly seeds security assessment for better understanding
of the seeds concept of a particular area where the crisis/disaster affected
population then seeds strategies developed for seed intervention
c). Accountability to the affected population:
When I take scenario from South Sudan,
the humanitarian actors on seed related intervention is top-down approach.
A seed policy framework in South Sudan is still on draft (not officially
recognized) and mapping of seed variety occurrences in particular livelihood
zone generally not addressed clearly.
Majority of humanitarian actors’ seed
security intervention are too ambitious that they consider huge number
of households that satisfy donor mandate. The choice of seed types, seed
varieties are actually based on seed accessibility at international or
local markets not supporting the views of affected population.
The only solution for humanitarian actors
to involve the affected population in planning seed security project intervention
at administrative area clusters.
Regards,
Joseph Faustino Mokorondere
Agro Field Officer
The International Committee of the Red Cross
Ministry Road Amarat Juba, South Sudan
Mobile: +211 (0) 956332711
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The ICRC - working to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence. Find out more: www.icrc.org
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