ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Yet, although the trade linkages are not as established (or as cheap) as those between West Africa and Europe,
the South African market does represent a significant opportunity for West African producers. Due to a poor
harvest in 2003, South Africa has been importing groundnut from Southern Africa and even Argentina at
premium prices – over $700 per MT (unsorted and CIF) in Malawi. There may be scope for entry into the South
African market once the Aflatoxin issue has been addressed by improved management and monitoring of
product quality at the crop level.
The primary conclusion of this study is that there is a need for West Africa to improve the production chain of
the groundnut sector with initial emphasis on production to satisfy national, sub-regional and even regional
demand.
1C.3. Seed supply systems in WCA: Lessons learned for R4D published
Groundnut seed systems in West Africa: current practices, constraints and opportunities (WCA)
During the last 30 years, donors and governments have invested more than US$ 125 million in variety
development, seed production and distribution projects in Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. More than 39
groundnut varieties were developed, adapted, introduced and released. However, the returns to these
investments are low due to limited uptake of newly bred modern varieties. This is explained by limited access to
seed of new varieties, limited supply of breeder seed, uncertain demand, missing or poorly functional national
variety release committee, lack of integration between input and product markets, and lack of enabling policies
and institutional environments. There are opportunities to exploit regional seed trade, enhancing the utilization
of the large seed infrastructure, improving the interface between the public and local village seed systems and
establishing sustainable community based seed systems.
The major constraints limiting the performance of groundnut seed systems include:
Limited access to seed of newly bred varieties; Limited supply of breeder / foundation / certified and
commercial seed of varieties preferred by farmers or required by the markets; production subsidies and
inefficiency; thin and uncertain demand; missing or non-functional national variety release committees are
missing, or meet irregularly; weak integration between seed and product markets and Lack of enabling policy
and institutional environments.
These factors have largely contributed to the under-development of the seed industry. However, there are
opportunities around which sustainable seed supply systems could be developed. These include potential for
regional seed trade, availability of seed infrastructure within countries, a large number of farmers already trained
at seed production techniques through various rural development projects, NGOs or research institutions and
large oil processing companies. These opportunities include the potential to exploit the regional market, the
existing large seed infrastructure, fostering interface between the public, private and community-based systems,
and overall the development of sustainable community based seed systems.
1C.4. Study on institutional arrangements for collective marketing in groundnut and pigeon pea in Malawi
completed by 2006.
Linking smallholder pigeonpea and groundnut farmers to product markets in Malawi (ESA)
A draft monograph on “Livelihoods and market linkages: Social capital in linking smallholder pigeonpea and
groundnut farmers to product markets in Malawi” is under revision for publication. The study assessed
institutional and social factors that condition smallholder collective marketing. The study investigated why some
smallholder groundnut and pigeon pea marketing clubs performed better than others. Three specific objectives
were pursued: (i) To identify constraints to and opportunities for groundnut and pigeonpea production and
marketing; (ii) To investigate why some marketing clubs succeeded while others did not; and (iii) to draw
lessons that inform research and development policy.
Results showed that the marketing strategies for both grain legumes bore some similarities and differences.
Whereas groundnut marketing was more organized and in terms of marketing clubs and an assured market
through NASFAM, pigeon pea marketing was dependant on a multiplicity of actors (vendors, middlemen,
buying and processing companies) in the market chain and greatly influenced by local processing companies.
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