Seed Info No.24
January 2003
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
PDF File

English Version:

413Kb

Arabic Version:

Address:

E-mail:

Subscribe:

Back Issues
ICARDA Home

CONTRIBUTIONS from SEED PROGRAMS and PROJECTS

In this section we invite national seed programs, projects, universities, regional or international organisations to provide news about their seed related activities.

Rebuilding the Afghanistan Agriculture

Wrap UP Meeting on Needs Assessment
ICARDA convened a Wrap-up Meeting on 18-20 November 2002 in Aleppo, Syria on Need Assessments for the agriculture sector which have been carried out under the umbrella of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan. About 30 participants representing a wide range of different organizations, including international agricultural research centers, development agencies, NGOs, universities, private sector and donors, together with Afghan agricultural experts, attended the meeting. The meeting discussed the results of the Need Assessments on Seeds and Crop Improvement and Soils and Water.

The meeting identified research and development priorities for the short, medium and long-term. Draft concept notes (project proposals) were developed based on the need assessments.

Domestic Seed Production and Supply
For 2002 autumn planting over 5000 tonnes of wheat seed produced on contract with farmers was purchased, cleaned, treated and distributed throughout the country. The seed was distributed through a network of NGOs in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Some of the harvest can be used as source seed for the next cycle of seed multiplication and distribution within the country to replenish the seed stocks.

Delivery of Breeding Materials and Source Seed
In August 2002 ICARDA delivered about 53 tonnes of seed of over 70 released varieties and/or promising lines of wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea and vetch, some of which are of Afghanistan origin and with better adaptation to the agroecological conditions of the country. The released varieties will be used for immediate seed multiplication and distribution to farmers whereas the promising lines will be used for wider scale testing and evaluation throughout the country.

Delivery of Equipment and Cleaners
The equipment ordered for central and satellite seed testing laboratories including three for seed health had arrived and is ready for installation. In addition, six small cleaning machines fabricated in Syria were dispatched to Afghanistan to be used for cleaning seed for next planting season.

Institutional Strengthening
In July 2002, ICARDA in cooperation with the MoAL had organized the first in-country course on Seed Quality Seed Production and Field Inspection where more than 75 participants drawn from relevant ministries and NGOs attended the course. For more details on FHCRAA visit the website at http://www.futureharvest.org or http://www.icarda. cgiar.org: A.J.G. van Gastel, Seed Unit, ICARDA, P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria; E-mail: a.vangastel@cgiar.org

***