Seed is one of the basic inputs for sustainable development of agriculture but farmers in Nepal have limited access to quality seeds of improved crop varieties. This is because formal sector supplies less than 10 percent of total seed demand. National Seed Company (NSC), a semi-governmental organization responsible for quality seed supply, produces and markets limited quantity of rice, wheat, and maize seeds. NSC meets only 0.85 percent of total annual rice seed demand.The situation of supply of other seeds is even worse. Farmer-to-farmer seed exchange and local seed markets meet most of the seed requirements. But continuous use of such seeds results in degeneration of seed yield. There is no viable commercial seed supply mechanism in place. The situation is worse in remote areas. As a result resource-poor and disadvantaged communities suffer the most.
Basically, there are two sources of seeds for farmers: saving and exchanging among farmers, and buying from companies. Seeds of local crops are generally obtained from the first source. The second source is mainly used for modern varieties and large-scale farming. Strengthening farmers' informal seed networks is vital to conserve local crop genetic resources.
Nepal had, in the past, introduced Community-Based Seed Production and Marketing (CBSPM) approach to meet the seed needs of its farmers. This approach was modeled on Participatory Crop Improvement (PCI) projects implemented during the late nineties. These PCI projects identified new farmer-preferred varieties quickly. The immediate challenge was to provide seeds of those varieties on a wider scale. Community-based Seed Production (CBSP) approach was tried for this purpose and it proved beneficial. By 2002, this approach was scaled up in nine more Tarai districts. But despite its popularity among the farmers, it was discontinued.
CBSPM is an approach of producing and distributing seeds with involvement of farmer groups. In this, seed producing farmer associations are formed to multiply seeds of farmer-preferred varieties through a cost-effective approach. It is market-oriented and, hence, places greater emphasis on developing skills in production, planning and marketing. It takes into account entire seed innovation system from initial identification of new varieties through participatory varietal selection (PVS) to commercial seed production and marketing.
Above all, it involves all stakeholders, and develops strong linkages between private sector and community-based groups. CBSPM is a right approach to build sustainable partnership among CBSP groups, governmental and non-governmental research and development organisations, seed traders and entrepreneurs. But what was responsible for the success of CBSPM?
A key factor in its success in seed production is the linkage with Agriculture Service Centres (ASCs), Nepal Agriculture Research Council's commodity research systems and NGOs. Market linkage with seed entrepreneurs and seed traders is another important factor. Empowering farmer groups was yet another component of CBSPM. Farmer groups are encouraged to mechanise threshing, grading and packaging to minimise costs and improve seed quality. We need something like CBSPM today.
Department of Agriculture has introduced a policy to encourage and strengthen farmer seed producer groups and piloted District Seed Self-Sufficiency Program (DISSPRO), particularly for increasing access to seeds of popular varieties at a reasonable price in the villages. DISSPRO is being run through District Agriculture Offices in more than 50 districts. There is a provision of revolving funds and grants to encourage farmers in these districts.
DISSPRO, however, is far less effective than CBSPM. DISSPRO groups are not based on the demands of farmers so they tend to lack ownership, are subsidised more and most importantly, they lack the basic skills in marketing. This is the reason more and more farmers prefer CBSPM.
Community Seed Bank (CSB), where seeds produced by the community can be stored safely, can be an alternative to promote farm management of agricultural biodiversity. Under this program, 115 community seed banks have been established in different parts of the country, as of 2013.
Nepal Agriculture Genetic Resources Center supported the establishment of a CSB in Simariya village of Sunsari in 2011 for conservation and enhancement of local crop genetic resources. The gene bank also provided training on CSB management in 2012. The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has developed CSB implementation guidelines including a plan to establish CSBs in more districts.
NGOs and INGOs, such as LI-BIRD, USC-Canada, and Oxfam have lent support in establishing CSBs in different parts to provide easy access to diverse seeds types at local level. CSB is a social system of conservation and utilization of local genetic resources, operated at local level and run by the community. The options of planting materials provided by CSBs to farmers could boost crop production at household level. CSB could be a tool to help us achieve sustainable agriculture development. It helps to conserve local landraces as well as improved varieties through continued utilization. Above all, all local farmers have access to information on what planting materials are available.
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