1. Getting Back to Basics: Creating
Getting Back to Basics: Creating
Impact Oriented Bean Seed Delivery
Systems for the Poor (and others) in
S t f th P ( d th ) i
Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania
q
Chirwa, R.M, J.C. Rubyogo, M. Amane, E. D.L. Mazuma, C.
Madata and R. Magreta
SAf‐CoP4 meeting Held at Club Makokola,
Mangochi, Malawi
Mangochi Malawi
September 27‐October 1, 2010

2. Background
• Importance of Beans
Importance of Beans
• Major Challenges to Production
• Why this project was conceived?
h hi j i d?

3. Importance of bean
• Good source of plant
protein/minerals/vitamins
• Leaves are good
g
vegetables
• Reduced hunger/cash
strap period – early
maturing – 3 months
• Sold for cash – leaves
and grain
• Fixes nitrogen

4. Limiting factors to bean production
• Limited varieties for specific agro‐ecologies and
market niches
• Unavailability of seed of improved bean varieties
• Lack of knowledge about the existence or
availability of non‐variety bean technologies
• Poor linkages between producers and
Poor linkages between producers and
consumers/markets

5. This Project was to Address:
This Project was to Address:
• Inadequate exposure of farmers, other consumers,
q p , ,
traders, other rural service providers to identify
their preferred varieties and stimulate their wider
utilization.
utilization
• Unavailability and inaccessibility of seeds of these
varieties, resulting from disconnection between
varieties, resulting from disconnection between
National Agricultural Research Services (NARS)
products (improved bean varieties, knowledge and
skills) and existing farmer, rural service providers
kill ) d i ti f l i id
and local bean seed systems.

6. Project Goal and Objectives:
Project Goal and Objectives:
 To identify/verify farmers’ bean variety
preferences
• Goal: Improved
Improved
food/Nutrition  To enhance skills and knowledge of partners
security and incomes in Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) and
of small holders
of small holders decentralized seed systems
decentralized seed systems
through use of
improved bean  To develop impact‐oriented bean seed
productivity
productivity p
production and delivery systems of preferred
y y p
varieties serving a range of end‐users

7. Project Sites
Project Sites
• Southern Highlands of Tanzania:
Mbeya, Iringa and Rukwa Regions
• Malawi:
North, central and southern regions
• Mozambique:
Tete, Zambezia
Tete Zambezia, Nampula and
Niassa provinces

8. Project strategy: Partnership
Project strategy: Partnership
 Partners included:
• Government Extension Agents
Country
y Partners
• NGOs,
NGOs
Organizations
• CBOs
Malawi 12
• Private sector and
• Farmer organizations Mozambique 16
• Church organizations Tanzania 24
• Bean t d
B traders Total 52
The partners, farmers and traders
The partners farmers and traders
were trained to build their skills
in PVS

9. Participatory Variety Selection
Participatory Variety Selection
Picture ‐ Process of PVS: Country Participants in PVS
Ribbons Fe Male Total
mal
e
Malawi
Tanzani 146 1238 2704
a 6
Mozam 418 603 1021
bique
q
Total
Photo‐Process of PVS: cooking
evaluation

10. Results of PVS:
Results of PVS:
• Clients’ variety selection • Varieties Selected
Clients variety selection Varieties Selected
criteria
Country Varieties
Tested Selected Released
Malawi
Mozambique
Tanzania

11. Seed Multiplication
Partners and Farmers were trained in seed production
Year Seed (kg)
Malawi Tanzania Mozambique
2007 4411 760
2008 1525 2500
2009 1562 6630
2010 1872 9800
Background
picture of seed
multiplication

12. On station seed production
On‐station seed production
Table with breeder and foundation
2007 2008 2009 2010
Malawi
Mozambique
Tanzania 10840 7050 4181 7200

13. QDS
QDS production
 In collaboration with
extension
• Minimum inspection
supported by district
db d
• Sometimes bureaucratic
limitations:
limitations:
o lack of funds
o transport means
o time availability
Can farmers sustain the cost of inspections?
f h f ?
Does inspection pay off?

14. Empowering small seed entrepreneurs (SHT)
E i ll d (SHT)
• Small seed entrepreneurs
(own production/contract)
marketing small packs in
k i ll k i
SHT
Should regulations apply
equally to large and small
seed entrepreneurs or what
d h
measures to support their
p
development??

15. Engaging large scale ‘ able’ seed private
g g g g p
suppliers
• e.g. in 2009 Demeter
seed company in Malawi
close to 400 T through
close to 400 T through
MG TIP (about 230,000
households)‐
• 2010: Similar amount of
seeds
(details with Martin)
What next after TIP?
What next after TIP?

16. Supply of Starter Seed (PVS) and Basic for
pp y ( )
Commercial Seed Production
 Malawi:
Due to seed rules under TIP: ‘One to One’ generation,
Demeter Agric. Ltd requires every year about 5 tons of
breeder seeds to produce 400 MTs commercial seeds
breeder seeds to produce 400 MTs commercial seeds

17. Seed systems environment – Malawi
Situation
• 2006 • 2010
• Increasing in commercial
• No formal seed supply seed due to exposure and
also big seed market
• Limited partners in three
Limited partners in three
countries • Increasing use of certified
(5% in Malawi)
• Certified seed uses
(<1%) • E
Emerging local
i l l
entrepreneurs (several in
three countries
• Di
Diverse partners
The demand for bean seed of various
categories is increasing in all the 3 • Increased demand of
countries breeder/basic seeds

18. Lessons Learnt
Lessons Learnt
• Policy makers can provide a drive to influence
Policy makers can provide a drive to influence
changes in seed supply and delivery systems –
the case of Malawi.
the case of Malawi

19. What next ? RESEARCH: Variables for Compare/Contrast
p
Seed Operations Institutional Scale Speed Type of Quality of
production/Cha efficiency mix farmer seed
nnels reached supplied
Private
company
QDS
Certified
entrepreneurs
t
Farmer non
certified seeds
Use of small
packs
Non market
channels:
schools, church