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1. Project Background
The Consultative Committee considered this proposal at its 28th Meeting and noted that groundnuts represent an important commodity for nutrition and for generating cash income to farmers, as well as contributing to soil fertility through nitrogen fixation in the soil. It was also noted that there is an ongoing CFC financed project for improving Groundnut Germplasm in West Africa, which had already achieved some laudable results ready for dissemination. The proposal was presented as a follow-up to the ongoing project, which has the objective of reversing the declining trend in the productivity of groundnut farming in West Africa. The aim of disseminating improved seeds developed largely under the ongoing project to farmers is, therefore, considered relevant and laudable. However, the project design needed to be reviewed with a view to making it more representative of all interested regions in a cost-effective way. The dissemination component of the project should also include Eastern and Southern Africa regions. The cost of the project was considered high and should be reduced, particularly expenditure items such as vehicles, civil works and personnel. The follow-up project should rely mainly on local capacity with limited international expertise assistance.
During its Thirtieth meeting held in July 2002 the Committee noted that the revised proposal addressed the major concerns raised at its Twenty-Eighth meeting. The Committee was informed of the terminal workshop of the previous Common Fund project and its completion in June 2002. The revised proposal focused on the utilisation and uptake of the improved groundnut varieties; improvement of the skills of the farmers and other entrepreneurs in seed production, delivery, processing and marketing; and information dissemination. The total cost of the project had been reduced and the project was utilising the assets of the previous project, thus effecting savings in cost of vehicles and equipment. The project was now relying on local expertise with backstopping from two experts from ICRISAT and from consultants. Noting the importance of developing a sustainable seed development and distribution system in other parts of Africa, the Committee recommended including an additional workshop covering Eastern and Southern Africa to strengthen the dissemination component. For sustainability of the project it was essential to accord a larger role to the private sector keeping the national policies regarding seed production and distribution in view.
A modified proposal, incorporating the recommendations of the Committee, was recommended for approval.
The Executive Board approved the project as contained in document CFC/EB/34/20 with a grant of SDR 1,595,897 (Decision EB/XXXIV/13).
2. Project Objectives
Development of sustainable groundnut seed systems in West Africa
Raison d'etre
- Groundnut an important commodity for
nutrition and cash income
- A follow-up program to disseminate
technologies developed from GGP
- Lack of sustainable seed systems to
produce and deliver high quality seed
- In conformity with the development
strategy of IGG-OOF
Project
description
- Builds on achievements of GGP
A range of improved varieties
available
A range of groundnut germplasm assembled
and conserved
Enhanced capacity in genetic
resources management and utilization
Goal
- Improve the livelihoods of farmers through
uptake of seed of high yielding groundnut
- varieties and promotion of sustainable seed systems in West
Africa
Objectives
- Promote utilization and uptake of improved
groundnut varieties responding to market requirements trough the
development of sustainable
- community based seed production and distribution
systems
- Promote measures to minimize Aflatoxin
contamination
- Improve skills of farmers and other
entrepreneurs in seed production, delivery, processing, marketing and
small enterprise management
- Improve the flow of information between producers and market
intermediaries
Project Components
1. Promote utilization and
uptake of improved varieties
2. Minimize the risks from Aflatoxin
contamination
3. Improve skills among farmers and other
entrepreneurs
4. Information dissemination
5. Project management,
coordination and monitoring
Outputs
Component
1
- Groundnut varieties meeting market standards
- Sustainable breeder and foundation seed supply
to cover 20% of the area
- Alternative seed supply strategies
- Linkages between producers and processors
established
- Impact of improved varieties measured
Component 2
- Agronomic practices to reduce Aflatoxin
contamination demonstrated
- User friendly diagnostic tool kits adapted to
local conditions
- Better harvesting and storage technologies extended
Component 3
Relevant stakeholders trained
in:
- Seed production and variety maintenance
- Post-harvest crop management
- Impact assessment
- Marketing and small business management
Component 4
Information flow enhanced
through:
- Workshops, and training manuals
- Brochures in local languages, radio messages
- Village/community level workshops
- Databases on markets, grades and standards, demand and supply
etc
Project
management
Coordination
- Project coordination Committee meetings
organized Meetings
- Annual work programs
Reporting
- Implementation progress reports
Monitoring
- Annual monitoring missions by SB
Evaluation
- Mid-and end of project evaluation
Verifiable
indicators
Key assumptions
- Supportive policy and legal regulatory
environment to private sector development
- Stable political environment
- Favorable market conditions for groundnut
products
- Favorable climatic conditions
- Flexible seed laws
Key features
- A purely demand or market driven approach as
opposed to research driven agenda
- New strategic partnerships (private sector,
NGOs, farmer organizations and policy makers)
- Full integration or complementarily of formal
and informal seed production activities
- Demand driven activities imply a strong market orientation including
the understanding of market forces operating at local, regional and
international level
Methodology
- A phased approach, experimental in
character
- Pilot activities in a limited number of
representative locations
- Evaluate experiences gained through and
scale-in-out successful interventions
- Build maximum collaboration with all stakeholder involved or
potentially interested in groundnut seed production
The way forward
- Identify key locations for pilot interventions
- Identify market niches
- Match available varieties to identified niches
- Establish strategic partnerships with traders
and processors, farmer associations and individual entrepreneurs
- Together with farmers design and implement
variety testing and demonstration
- Identify and train entrepreneurs for foundation
seed production
- Identify distribution channels including rural
stockists
- Improve linkages of producers to markets
-
Group marketing
-
Contracting
-
Collection points
- Develop and distribute relevant production and market
information
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Documents
