Final version of Tropical Legumes II Project Report for Phase 1 - icrisat

Niger
Seed systems in Niger vary substantially in their institutional and legal aspects and in their operational
procedures. In Niger, plant breeding and breeder seed production are undertaken by the national
agricultural research system, ‘Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques du Niger (INRAN). Breeder
seed are bulked into foundation seed by the SPC of Lossa. Foundation seeds are multiplied further into
registered or commercial seed by four other seed multiplication centers through contract farmers. Seed
is distributed through a few sales points located in the capital cities of departments, research centers,
and seed production units, and to a lesser extent, NGOs. Seed quality control activities for breeder seed
and basic seed are performed by the SPC of Lossa and for other seed classes by the other SPCs. Seed
processing, storage, and control are undertaken by the SPCs in their laboratories and processing units.
Overall, the mode of seed provision is dominated by the public sector and has remained so since 1975
when the first seed project (the Niger Cereal Project, PCN) was launched. The only major change in
the system occurred in 1989 when seed production planning, distribution, and price-setting decisions
were decentralized at the departmental level. Currently, almost all activities are still performed by
government agencies. In Niger, variety evaluation and release are the responsibility of INRAN.
Mali
In Mali, grain markets have been liberalized with measurable success, but the liberalization of seed
markets for sorghum, millet and cowpea (the staple crops) has proven to be more difficult. Despite
continuous progress by scientists in breeding well-adapted, high-yielding commercial seed varieties,
only an estimated 10% of Mali’s millet and cowpea area and less than 20% of its sorghum area
has been planted with certified seed. This is because many smallholders have limited or no access
to certified seed and because they have also been long accustomed to generating their own seed
or supplying each other with seed according to clan or ethno-linguistic group. Traditionally, these
informal seed systems work quite well, but researchers were surprised to discover that in areas
subject to harsh agro climatic conditions, successive crop failures have caused village seed systems
to break down, and local grain markets have become important sources of seed. This finding led IFPRI
researchers to examine seed transactions in a dozen weekly markets in the Sahel region of Mali. They
found that no certified seed is available in these markets, but that grain suitable for seed is being sold
by primarily female vendors who are also farmers. Because the vendors bring unmixed seed directly
from their granaries, the purchasers know the provenance and can depend on its quality, which is
especially important in harsh environments where the range of adaptability is very limited. The grain
colour plays an importance in the preference of consumers. The predominant grain colour in visited
markets is white. Sixty four percent (64%) of cowpea varieties used by farmers are white and 79%
are black eyes.
Malawi
In Malawi, the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) is responsible for the production
and distribution of basic or foundation seed. However, the level of investment is so variable and usually
leads to erratic supply of basic seed. No adequate basic seed was available at the start of 2007 season such
that multiplication had to be done using certified soybean seeds. Currently, production is undertaken
under the DARS Basic Seed Up-scaling Program. Potential farmers apply and successful applicants are
then supplied with breeder seed to produce basic seed under inspection of the Seed Services Unit. The
basic seed is then sold through the program management unit. In 2008, nearly 7 tons of basic soybean
seed was produced. The up-scaling program signals the public sector efforts to improve the production
and distribution of basic seed of soybean. As opposed to past basic seed production initiatives, the upscaling
program is more organized. For instance, the varieties that are multiplied under this program are
chosen based on farmer and consumer preferences and the seed production is undertaken by farmers
with inspection and other technical support from the Seed Services Unit.
Progress of Phase 1
89