A multi-stakeholder approach to seed systems of food-feed crops for smallholder farmers in the tropics

1. A multi-stakeholder approach to seed systems of food-feed crops for smallholder farmers in the tropics International Conference on Livestock Services Enhancing Rural Development, Beijing, China, 17-19 April 2006

2. Authors R.L. Roothaert - ILRI O.O. Olufajo - ILRI P.G. Bezkorowajnyj - ILRI Ch. Ravinder Reddy - ICRISAT V.L. Prasad - ICRISAT

3. Overview Background on food-feed crop research The DFID fodder innovation project Seed systems of dual purpose crops A multi-stakeholder approach to enhancing seed systems Lessons learned

4. Background on food-feed crop research 60 % of total feed in India consists of crop-residues of dual-purpose crops. Similar in northern Nigeria. Adopters of DP cowpea varieties gained $ 435 versus $ 78 for non-adopters. DP groundnut has potential to raise milk production by 10%. Building on assets, trying to improve them. More adoption potential of DP crops than forages.Building on assets, trying to improve them. More adoption potential of DP crops than forages.

5. Double cropping of improved cowpea varieties Genetic improvement cowpea Nigeria. First variety fills the hungry gap. Early maturing. Mainly grains for sales and consumption. Second cowpea crop late maturing, grains and large amounts of fodder. Harvest of fodder after rains stop.Genetic improvement cowpea Nigeria. First variety fills the hungry gap. Early maturing. Mainly grains for sales and consumption. Second cowpea crop late maturing, grains and large amounts of fodder. Harvest of fodder after rains stop.

6. Farmer preferences of DP crops and forages Groundnut � high grain yield Soybean � marketability Cowpea � grain yield and forage Forage legumes palatability and biomass less intensive systems wealthier farmers BMZ project (ILRI/ IITA) from 1999 -2003 � extensive on-farm research in Nigeria. Aim to improve livelihoods of resource poor farmers through forages and DP crops.BMZ project (ILRI/ IITA) from 1999 -2003 � extensive on-farm research in Nigeria. Aim to improve livelihoods of resource poor farmers through forages and DP crops.

7. The DFID fodder innovation project in Nigeria and India, 2003 - 2006 Aim: to scale out proven food-feed crop technologies Various scaling out strategies Increment of 1300 farmers testing DP crops within 2 years

8. Result: demand for DP crop seeds surged

9. Seed systems of dual purpose crops General 80% of crops from seeds selected and saved by farmers India Farmer saved seed is disappearing Dependence on Govt. subsidised seeds, serious quality Except hybrids. Disappearing: droughts, poverty, bruchids. Govt seeds: Tendered, from various sources, no particular variety, sub-optimal yields.Except hybrids. Disappearing: droughts, poverty, bruchids. Govt seeds: Tendered, from various sources, no particular variety, sub-optimal yields.

10. Seed systems of dual purpose crops Nigeria Farmer saved seeds State Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP) � limitations in capacity Policy to hand over to private sector not implemented by ADPs

11. A multi-stakeholder approach to enhancing seed systems Actor Linkage Mapping (Biggs and Matsaert, 2004) Analyse existing patterns of information flow in dual purpose legume seed systems Identify weak linkages among actors Agree on action plan to improve essential linkages Method to enhance public private partnerships.Method to enhance public private partnerships.

12. Results Heated discussions on mandates versus actual activities and linkages. Reluctance of private seed companies to produce new varieties Risk of no sales Storage problem No information on demand

13. Actor linkage map for seed systems of DP legumes Note difference between mandates and actual practices: research � NSS � seed company - farmers.Note difference between mandates and actual practices: research � NSS � seed company - farmers.

14. Critical links: Private seed companies Remote farmers

15. Critical links: Private seed companies Input suppliers Remote farmers

16. Development of action plan to enhance public-private partnerships. Information system on demand of improved DP crop seeds Amounts Types Locations Experiment on Risk reduction LoA between private seed company and ILRI

17. Training for input suppliers Monitoring changes in Actor Linkage Map Opportunities: Network of 1,800 input suppliers coordinated by zonal offices of seed company. Opportunities: 1) seed distribution, 2) dissemination of technical and socio-economic informationOpportunities: 1) seed distribution, 2) dissemination of technical and socio-economic information

18. Complementary roles of artisan seed producers and private seed sector

19. Lessons learned Actor Oriented Approach Doesn�t need to be perfect from the start. Should not be used lightly. Needs to focus on opportunities. Personalities as important as institutional goals and cultures. Useful as a tool for learning based monitoring and evaluation. Not perfect: more cases can be involved in subsequent phases. Not used lightly: otherwise will end up on the pile of criticised participatory approaches. Differences between mandates and actual performances are delicate and need a safe environment for them to be able to be discussed.Not perfect: more cases can be involved in subsequent phases. Not used lightly: otherwise will end up on the pile of criticised participatory approaches. Differences between mandates and actual performances are delicate and need a safe environment for them to be able to be discussed.

20. Policy Support to local seed producers, improve quality and marketability India: Refocus of govt. policy. Move away from direct supply, redirect subsidies Nigeria: Refocus of ADPs, strengthen public-private partnerships Culture, attitudes, and capacity to use tools that enhance PPP.Culture, attitudes, and capacity to use tools that enhance PPP.