ICARDA annual report 2004

age. They will also market the seed
produced to farmers within and
outside the community, either
directly or through village traders
and NGOs. When the project ends
in June 2006, each VBSE should be
producing 100 tonnes of quality
seed of a wide range of crop varieties
each year.
ICARDA is providing technical
support and helping VBSEs to prepare
business plans. It is also supplying
the initial batches of highquality
stock seed, which the
VBSEs will multiply. This seed
originates from varieties adapted to
the specific agro-ecologies found in
the country. ICARDA is also helping
to source fertilizer, equipment,
and credit for the farmer groups.
Such capacity building is important
because small-scale seed enterprises
are vulnerable, especially
during the early years. This is not
just because the farmers involved
have to learn the difference
between informal and commercial
seed production. Agricultural businesses
also face risks associated
with unreliable climatic conditions
and market demand, both of which
are major constraints.
Experience has shown that the
success of a seed business depends
on: (i) the marketing of a range of
products (seed of different crops,
agro-inputs, custom seed cleaning,
etc.); (ii) proximity to markets; (iii)
close linkage with formal seed-sector
institutions (for research, extension,
and quality control); and (iv)
educational support to entrepreneurs.
The survival and expansion
of such businesses, therefore,
requires detailed planning, which
must include sensitivity analyses.
By the end of 2004, the first year
of the project, 15 VBSEs were operational
(Table 12). These marketed
or exchanged more than 800 tonnes
of seed—more than half of the target
amount (1500 ton per year) set
by the project. A total of 113 VBSE
member farmers, along with 187
staff from partner organizations
(extension services, MAAH, and
NGOs), were trained in technical
seed-production operations, enterprise
management and financial
accounting.
Developing a national
seed policy and seed regulations
in the Islamic
Republic of Iran
Since the mid-1980s the private sector
has been encouraged to participate
in Iran’s seed industry to stimulate
national economic development.
But this requires many
changes—including policy and regulatory
reforms—to promote a
competitive seed industry with
multiple players.
In 2002, ICARDA organized a
National Seed Workshop in collaboration
with Iran’s Seed and Plant
Theme 5
Improvement Institute. This
brought together international
experts and national stakeholders
from the Iranian seed industry to
discuss options for improving and
developing the sector. Participants
discussed the policy and regulatory
reforms needed. They also presented
key recommendations for possible
actions by policy makers.
The government of Iran has now
established the Seed and Plant
Certification and Registration
Institute (SPCRI). This is an independent
government agency. Its
overall mandate is to implement (i)
a seed certification scheme for seed
and planting material; (ii) plant variety
protection efforts; and (iii) adaptive
research in seed technology.
SPCRI has become a focal point for
the formulation of policies and regulations.
It is now responsible for
preparing a national seed policy and
a comprehensive set of acts and
bylaws for the national seed sector.
Table 12. Numbers of staff trained, and amount of seed produced, sold or
exchanged by new village-based seed enterprises (VBSEs) in different provinces
of Afghanistan.
Seed sold/ No. of VBSE No. of
VBSE exchanged members partners
Province districts Crops (tonnes) trained trained
Ghazni Khoja Omari Wheat 90 27 21
Qara Bagh n.a.†
Helmand Nad Ali
Boolan
n.a.† 3 22
Kunduz Ali Abad Wheat,
paddy rice,
mung bean,
Chardarah
Khanabad
Center
and chickpea 400 45 60
Parwan Bagram n.a. † Jabulsaraj
Tutum Dara
15 30
Nangarhar Behsood
Kama
Khewa
Surkhrood
Wheat 323 23 54
Total 15 813 113 187
† Group established only recently.
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