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FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 20 II
Food security: FAO prescribes new solution Layi Adeloye
T
HE Food and Agricultural Organisation has said that small seed enterprises are the best way of ensuring the availability and quality of non· hybrid seeds for food and feed crops in developing countries. The body stated this in a policy gUide published on Wednesday. According to the World Bank, up to 50 per cent of crop yield increases have
come from improved seeds,
while farmers' access to quality seeds is a key factor for better food and nutrition in poor countries.
a
In recent years, however, quite a number of
seeds do not reliably produce true copies," it said. The majority of poor smallholder farmers are
farmers' organisations, but as case studies in the policy guide from three continents have shown, such enterprises
development and seed producers should be given assistance to run marketing communications
technical and entrepreneurial
growing food security crops,
can be highly effective in improving food output," said Shivaji Pandey, Director of FAO's Plant Production and
campaigns including the use of rural radio networks to
capacities are not developed for self'reliance, the FAO
advertise improved varieties
document warns.
beans, for example) can be saved by farmers for next
to farmers. "Sometimes the seed is there but farmers'
It is hoped that legislation governing seeds for the whole of Africa will eventually be
planting. Generally speaking, seed purchased from qualified
organizations need assistance and gUidance in marketing
harmonized to make it easier for new varieties to cross
and reliable seed producers is better in purity, germination
it to other farmers," said borders. This is of particular Pandey. Many small·scale importance because of seed en!:!E~~~e!!-~~~ge which is
and overall quality regardless of whether is hybrid or non· hybrid seed.
such as sorghum, millet and cassava rely on self or open-
pollinated seeds or crops that are propagated through dividing bulbs' or taking cuttings stored from previous
harvests and grafting them. However, they do not always have access to new
varieties that can help them increase production using the same amount of inputs.
"It doesn't costs a lot comparatively to set up a seed enterprise, especially when it involves local
Protection Division, Shivaji
Pandeyi, said. It said, "Credit must also be available to seed producers; lack of credit was seen as, hindrance to seed
a
major
and
developed with the support of donors or NGOs but this can lead to aid dependency if both
increasing the need for more resilient varieties. Therefore, it said new
hybrid seed must be purchased for each planting. stressing that the seed of self· pollinated crops (wheat and
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governmentsinthedeveloping
world have reduced public investment in the seed sector,
the expectation being that the private sector would fill the gap. The policy guide, entitled, "Promoting the Growth and Development of Smallholder Seed Enterprises for Food Security Crops", is based on case studies from Brazil, India and Cote d'lvoire. the results of which have been published separately by FAO. In all three cases, a favourable policy environment was found to be a key requirement to the
successful development of smallholder seed enterprises.
Examples include an efficient quality control and certification system, private sector support, flexible legislation and the legal recognition of the rights of farmers to save, exchange
and sell seeds of commercial varieties. Support for privatisation and commercialisation of
agricultural services and the support of plant breeder rights are also imperative.
Other factors that can help farmers set up smaJl-scale seed enterprises, according
to the policy guide, include reduced tariffs for the import of seed·c1eaning and other equipment, key to establishing a seed industiy, as adopted by the government of Cote d'lvoire. According to the FAO policy guide, in many places, especially Africa, this has not happened as medium and
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large seed companies tend to concentrate on producing
hybrid seed for high value crops grown by larger farmers and market them in more fertile, wealthier areas.
As '" result, it said, only about 30 per cent of smallholder farmers in developing countries use seed of im proved varieties of
variable quality in Africa the percentage is smaller still. "Hybrid seeds provide better yields and disease resistance
but
cannot
be
saved by farmers for the next as the
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