Dear all

 

Thank you Joseph: My replies are:

 

Yes unsuitable varieties are being provided to farmers in some cases. The
reasons are many and I will mention a few based on my experience:

 

ü  In some humanitarian situation, time constraints force some agencies to
prescribe seeds interventions without proper consultations with communities
and relevant research institutions. There is need to allocate enough time to
assessments on appropriateness of seed including soil testing (these are
projects with like 10 months projects)

ü  Some agencies do not conduct seed germination tests to test the
germination rate and hybrid vigor before seeds are procured. As such,
unsuitable seeds are procured and get to the farmers immediately or even
late.

ü  Sometimes we pre-sume that newly  released varieties are the best
alternative, but farmers can be supported to select their own seed or
support selected farmers to bulk seed for the rest.(community Based Seed
bulking –Farm Africa in Kitui areas) This is cost effective and enables
farmers to plant what has been tested in their areas.

ü  Poor legislative environment where traders take any grain color it  in
dissemination it in packaged containers as certified seeds or new varieties
with little oversight by government authorities as in the case of Kenya. In
the absence of government oversight, there is need for more caution and
relevant extension services provided.

ü  In places like Kenya, we’ve seen too many new varieties of maize,
sorghum, cassava…..confusing the farmers; like “Tajirika”, “Karembo”,” Kahu
tele” cassava cultivars in Mtapwa KARI centre.

ü  Sometimes we forget new varieties also come in the form of a package…new
pesticides, fertilizers but when we design interventions, this is often
forgotten and we thus offer suitable seed varieties but in the wrong
package. Everyone loses here ( FAO/VSFB project in Lodwar where only DTCS
(cow peas-K80, Green grams-N26, Sorghum-Gadam and Maize-DH04) will be
provided without –Pestcides and no fertilizer ( the area is hot and
pests/disese are in plenty); similarly high value vegetable crop seeds like
–Kales, Spinach, onions and tomatoes that has no package for fertilizers and
pesticides

Thanks

 

Hammerton Kazungu

Community Development officer

VSFBelgium

Lodwar Field office

[log in to unmask] 

+254712284102

 

 

 

 

­­­­­­

 

Dear All,

 

 

A lot of humanitarian and recovery work in food security in the Horn of
Africa region involves provision of seed aid with significant direct seed
distribution of seed sourced from the formal sector (seed companies). There
have been concerns from some of the assisted famers in the recent past that
some of the varieties are unsuitable (un-adapted and un-preferred). Many
times famer’s seed are considered of poor quality by humanitarian actors,
and therefore, the need to provide them with quality seeds of varieties
which are improved – high yielding, disease resistant, drought tolerant etc.

 

1.      Do you agree that at times unsuitable varieties are being provided
in the form of seed aid? What is your experience with this? And do you think
this can be improved?

 

2.      Do you think seed security of the crisis/disaster affected
population is well assessed and analyzed before any intervention – If not
how do you want this improved?

 

3.      Are the views of the affected populations normally well taken into
consideration when planning seed related interventions by humanitarian
actors? 

 

Note: This e-discussion will run until 15th of August. 

 

Regards,

 

Joseph Okidi

 

Seed System Specialist

FAO REOA

 

 

 

 

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