AFGHANISTAN SEED AND CROP IMPROVEMENT SITUATION

V.SEED USE AND SUPPLY

IV.4. SEED SUPPLY AND REQUIREMENTS

V.4.1. NEEDS AND SUPPLY

FAO (annual report, Jan. 2001) reported the 2000 need and production of seed as shown in the following table.

Table 21 (PDF File 45Kb)
Seed Required and Seed Produced of 4 Major Crops, 2000 Year

V.4.2.IMPROVED SEED SUPPLY

The only organized production/supply of "improved seed" of cereals was the FAO seed program. Tunwar (AO, 2002) reports the production of "quality-declared" seed as shown in the following table. This was produced by the ISE and growers contracted through NGO's by the FAO seed program, which (in the absence of seed certification) contracted and supervised the production of "quality-declared" seed.

Table 22 (PDF File 43Kb)
Quality-Declared Seed of Wheat, Barley, Chickpea, Maize, Rice and Pulses Produced Since 1995

As is usual in seed programs of this nature, it is not known how much of the seed produced was actually planted by farmers. However, due to the small percentage of total seed usage and involvement of NGO's, etc., it is likely that most of the seed was planted by farmers.

It is interesting to note that seed production seemed to reach a plateau in its second year, and then did not increase significantly until 2000. An incremental annual increase would have been expected, given production on ISE farms and also with contract growers. No indication of maximum capacity of the program has been noted.

V.4.3. PRIVATE SECTOR SEED SUPPLY

There was no formal private-sector seed supply operations. Other than that, most (variously reported at around 90% or 90+%) of the seed was from the informal sector, supplied by farmers. Some have considered these farmers as private sector, but they do not meet the usually-used definition of "private sector seed supply".

There were 2 private-sector seed producers/suppliers in Baghlan, but when the FAO seed program began, their business declined and they were forced to close. These seedsmen reportedly produced, cleaned and distributed seed of improved varieties.

V.4.4. GOVERNMENT SEED SUPPLY

The government had no organized formal seed supply program. The ISE, a parastatal organization, can probably be most nearly classified as a government effort, but (Tunwar) it operated independently of the government, except in matters such as staff salary and paying a portion of any profit to the government. It is to be noted that in discussions with FAO personnel, the ISE has been variously termed both governmental and private sector seed supply.

V.4.5. INFORMAL SEED SUPPLY

Most seed comes from the "informal" sector, i.e., seed saved/exchanged among farmers. Tunwar (FAO) reports that organized seed production accounts for only about 8% of seed used by farmers. Thus, more than 90% of seed of the major cereal crops apparently came from the "informal seed sector" of farmers saving their own seed, getting seed from a neighbor, or community seed production.

It is widely reported, with unknown basis in fact, that farmers saved their own cereal seed or arranged a 1:1 trade with their neighbor to get seed of good-looking kinds. It was also reported (Fitzherbert, interview) that villages which grew mostly rainfed crops but also had some irrigated land, would seek to grow seed on the irrigated land; in this manner, even some seed of the favored rainfed landraces would survive the extended drought.

V.4.6. FAO EMERGENCY INTERVENTION SEED PROGRAM

FAO has, for some years, maintained an emergency intervention program under which seed was produced, procured, processed and distributed. In seed production, the FAO program contracted with its implementing partners (IP's) to further contract seed production with farmer-growers. IP's were usually NGO's, sometimes communities and some Department of Agriculture (Tunwar). FAO helped distribute "Foundation" seed produced on ISE farms to the IP's to distribute to their contracted growers to plant the fields. FAO inspectors, and inspectors/supervisors of the IP's inspected fields and selected those which were to be accepted for seed. Using the stationary seed cleaning plant (Tunwar reported in an interview that there was only one stationary plant), portable seed cleaners, and traditional methods, FAO supervised cleaning, treating, and bagging the seed. FAO took care of cleaning, testing, and packing, and provided machinery and certification materials.

The FAO-assisted seed production in 2001 was as shown in the following table.

Table 23 (PDF File 51Kb)
Seed Produced in 2001 by IP's of the FAO Seed Program

V.4.7. SEED PRICES

The coordinating committee operating within ACBAR establishes prices, which are followed by all. These price determinations include both cash selling price and the ratio of seed-to-grain exchange, e.g., 1:1.10. When seed is purchased for cash, a 10% premium in price is established by ACBAR for this year. Reportedly, the premium for seed has been around 20%, but is lower this year because of the emergency situation and to try to get more seed to farmers at a lower price for them.

FAO is involved in the WFP food-for-seed program, and reported that it has been procuring seed by giving the grower 1.25 kg of food grain for each 1.0 kg of seed obtained.

Some NGO's reported that they have been procuring seed by exchanging food grain for seed in a ratio of 1:1.

The FHC reports that it will procure seed for cash, strictly adhering to prices established by the coordinating committee under ACBAR.

V.4.8. PACKAGING AND LABELING

In terms of "formally" supplied seed, recommendations have included packaging seed in smaller bags, to facilitate transport by people or pack animals over rough terrain. It is said that seed should be packaged in bags of the following size, to fit the planting rate and average area planted by small farmers who make up most of the agricultural community.

In terms of "formally" supplied seed (FAO, ICARDA), ideally each bag should be labeled, showing:

Quality factors of the seed.
Crop and variety.
Growing recommendations (planting rate, agronomic practices, planting date/season, etc.).

In actual practice, most seed will be "informally" supplied, delivered to farmers in many different packages and without labels.
The Future Harvest Consortium should make a concerted effort to print its own seed bags and labels, and deliver them to the project in advance of seed harvest. Bags should bear the consortium's logo, and labels should at least identify the seed crop and variety, with some production advice. In spite of the high illiteracy rate, such labels would be of great benefit to the farmer, and would help the consortium.

V.4.9. "INFORMAL" SEED

There is much theoretical discussion about "farmers' knowledge of seed-saving". Most farmers actually do know how to maintain as much germination as possible under their environmental conditions. For example, Nepalese farmers mix fine ash and green pine straw with their seed; this helps keep it dry and keeps out insects.

Farmers are also theoretically given credit for understanding genetic heterogeneity and adaptability to local, often adverse, conditions and their innate competency to select landraces and practically develop varieties most suited to local conditions".

This, however, is still theoretical. There is no proof that farmers have the ability to do anything other than save good grain for seed; at best, they select the best-looking material for seed. Nature does the selecting, by giving the survival advantage to the best-adapted materials.

This is a good system to select landraces and materials adapted to local conditions, and has served farmers for centuries. However, these farmers have not really been under pressure to maximize their production (and, given the farmer-unfriendly prices and conditions of local markets in many places, it is arguable whether or not "pressure to maximize production" actually exists today in most places).

Today, with the need to produce more to feed growing populations, farmers (even subsistence farmers, but to a lesser degree) create "artificial" conditions in their fields, which should help produce more. If the plant breeders are sensitive to the needs of the farmers they serve, they develop varieties which are better-adapted to the special conditions farmers create in their fields. It can be said that farmers also select such materials, but the breeders are trained and equipped to develop better materials faster.

Therefore, it is beneficial to farmers to be sure they receive seed which carries, as much as possible, the traits identified as best for the conditions in the farmers' fields. This means that farmers should be given seed of the best possible seed and variety quality.

V.4.10. "INFORMAL" SEED PRODUCTION

Most (90+%) of the seed used in Afghanistan has been produced and handled within the "informal" system; i.e., farmer-saved or obtained from other farmers. Especially under current conditions, there is little alternative to informal seed production and supply.

Informal seed production and supply actually has distinct advantages in many situations, including the current situation in Afghanistan. The tightly-knit village and village Shurah system should make it relatively easy, for example, for an effective Extension program to train farmers and guide the village into a really effective village-level seed production and supply system.
But, this is not known to have happened. To date, there is no reliable proof that farmers actually identify the highest-yielding material and rogue or otherwise purify their seed plot to maximize the yield and quality of their "informal" seed. Thus, it can only be expected that farmers save the best possible "grain" and give it the best possible cleaning and care.

An organized form of informal seed production and supply should be encouraged, fostered, organized and supported in Afghanistan. This can be done by:

Organizing and assisting local seed growers, seed groups, and/or seed-growing communities.
Identifying (through realistic local trials which are under local conditions and seen by local farmers).the best varieties for local conditions, and getting farmer seed-growers the best possible stock seed (often, Certified or other seed from the "formal" sector).
Training the "informal" seed-producing farmers in seed production techniques: removing weeds, roguing out undesirable crop plants, good agronomic practices under their conditions, isolation, pest control, etc.
Helping obtain essential inputs, to the extent possible, to help improve the farmers' operations.
Helping provide facilities for cleaning, storage, and other handling. This includes machinery for cleaning/treating seed, and bags for it. Where machines are inappropriate, helping ensure that "traditional cleaning methods" do the best possible job.
Helping-before seed crops are planted, during crop growth, and after harvest-identify how much of what kind of seed should be produced, and in marketing it.
Help using farmers be able to obtain/pay for the seed, and help the producing farmers obtain payment for the seed they produce.

How can this be done? By having an effective Extension program to guide, lead, train, organize and support farmers and villages in local seed improvement and supply programs.

V.4.11. "FORMAL" SEED PRODUCTION

A classic formal seed sector has never existed. However, a basic "formal seed sector" has been operated through the ISE and other IP's which have been working under the FAO emergency intervention seed program. FAO staff indicates that this system is still in operation and produces the 4,000+ MT of seed FAO handles each year. A small portion of total seed needs is supplied, but in itself a significant amount of seed, has been produced by this program.

This system has reportedly been entirely organized by FAO, and managed by its expatriate staff since 1995, in behalf of UNDP and other donor/development-assistance agencies. FAO reports and documents indicate that the FAO-organized program is the entire "formal" seed supply in Afghanistan. The procedure described is as follows:

FAO, through consultations with various entities, determines the amount and kinds of seed to be produced.
FAO then signs Letters of Agreement (LOA) with the agencies which will organize the production of the seed. These include NGO's, government agencies, communities, individual farmers, and the ISE (Improved Seed Enterprise). The ISE has farms and also contracts with farmers; other agencies largely contract with farmers.
All seed is produced by Afghan farmers, with the assistance of the organizing agencies, called IP's (Implementing Partners). FAO provides supervision and technical backstopping.
In ISE, seed production activities are organized through SPU's (Seed Production Units), each of which has a pool of contract growers-farmers. The SPU supervises the farmers to ensure that appropriate quality standards are met.
Each SPU is equipped with seed cleaning and treating equipment, so that all seed is properly cleaned and treated against seedborne disease.
Farmer seed growers are paid a premium of 5% - 10% for seed which is accepted as Quality-Declared Seed (QDS). Payment is made with food wheat, supplied by the World Food Programme (WFP) under the "Food-For-Seed Programme".
The Quality-Declared Seed (QDS) is then sold for cash to other farmers, in the case of ISE, for example. The income from seed sales goes into a revolving fund intended for further expansion of the programme.

By 2001, it was reported that 4,904 farmer-seed growers were under contract in 17 provinces. Production for the 2001 season was 7,108 MT of wheat, 56.5 MT barley, 27 MT chickpea, 213.7 MT rice, 419.5 MT maize, and 171.5 MT pulses.

It must be noted that the FAO/UNDP programme did not move toward turning over operations and management to Afghan entities, or support the development of independent government or private-sector Afghan agencies. Clearly, this has been because the situation in Afghanistan has required an emergency-type programme for a long period. However, as a measure of stability returns to Afghanistan, the production supply of seed should be something, given the importance of agriculture in Afghanistan, which should be operated and managed by Afghans.