TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH IN SOMALIA

1. TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH IN SOMALIA Presented at the Workshop on Flagship 4:CGIAR Research for Improving the Impact of Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation on Agricultural Livelihoods in Highly Stressed and Unstable Systems May 22-23, 08 Nairobi, Kenya HUSSEIN HAJI

2. OVERVIEW • Introduction to SATG • Background – Agriculture in Somalia • Research systems and limitations • Past • Present • Future – Ideas for discussion

3. SOMALI AGRICULTURE TECHNICAL GROUP (SATG) • A registered non-profit association of Somali professionals and friends of the country • Dedicated to assisting in the reconstruction of Somalia and its agricultural heritage

4. SATG MISSION • To strive for peace and prosperity through sustainable agricultural development

5. SATG MEMBERS • Multidisciplinary team consisting of highly qualified and experienced professionals from different sectors of agriculture • Crop improvement and biotechnology • Crop production and soil management • Crop protection • Farming systems and technology transfer • Water resource management • Animal and food science • Livestock

6. SATG ACHIEVEMENTS • Established SATG electronic forum • Filsan mungbean identification and repatriation • Phosphorous as one of the limiting factors in the Bay region soils • Documented historic information on PGR and seed sector • Recommendations on livestock sector, deforestation and charcoal export • Providing technical support to local and international NGO’s • Visit www.satg.org for details

7. BACKGROUND • Agriculture contributed 65% of GDP-1990 • Livestock – 51% • Crops - 38% • Forestry – 9.5% • Fisheries - < 1%

8. BACKGROUND • Cereal crops • Sorghum, maize and rice • Legume crops • Cowpeas and mungbeans • Oil crops • Sesame and sunflower • Commercial crops • Banana, Citrus, Vegetables, Sugar cane, Cotton, Frankincense, and Myrrh

9. BACKGROUND • Cropping Systems • Irrigated (South) • Rainfall (South, Central, North West) Most crop production takes place in the south which have suffered the most from civil unrest

10. MILESTONE

11. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PAST MINSTRY OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH DEPT. CARS JILIB ABUREEN BDARS AG. EXTENTION

12. LIMITATIONS • Linkages among research, extension, and the agric. university • Stakeholder participation • Priority setting • Monitoring and evaluation • Research quality • Lack of motivation • Disproportionate funding

13. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT Somali Support Secretariat • Food Security and Rural Development-Agriculture working Group • CINS • CEFA • AGROSPHERE • CONCERN • SAVE THE CHILDREN • GTZ • CARE

14. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT • SAGRA • Somali Universities • Local NGO’s

15. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT Filsan Seed Distribution

16. Remotely present Short-term and lack of support for long-term programs Staff turn over and loss of institutional memory Quality of research Research experience Present Infrastructure Experience eroding Lack of training and human resource development Lack of funding to conduct research No agenda for research LIMITATIONS International NGO Local NGO

17. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE • Status quo until peace, security and a working government are restored • A move towards research and extension establishment irrespective to the current conditions on the ground. How?

18. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE Who are the stakeholders? • Farmers, commercial buyers, consumers, input suppliers, seed producers, International NGOs, TFG What type of technical support is available? • CG Centre • SATG • FAO • NGO’s What kind of resources are available on the ground? • SAGRA, Local NGO’s • Somali Universities

19. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE • What type of research framework to follow? • How to strengthen the system linkage? • What type of research is required?

20. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE

21. ACKNOWLEDGMENT • IDRC • CG team for collective action

22. THANK YOU