Planting the seeds of resilience

For the last 15 years, farmers in Niger have struggled to mitigate the effects of unpredictable and changing weather patterns, especially in the dry and desolate region of Tillabéry. 

Based on an initial vulnerability study, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) determined that farmers in 12 communes in western Niger were particularly affected by climate change and, for example, the resulting droughts and insect attacks.

In Niger, cyclical infestations of locusts and larvae historically occurred every 10 years, but now happen every two years. Against this backdrop, demand is growing for seeds that are more resilient to drought and pests.

SUR1M (Scaling-Up Resilience to Climate Extremes for over 1 Million People in the Niger River Basin of Niger and Mali), a three-year BRACED project led by CRS, is fostering access to improved seeds with a group of local partners. 

These seeds grow over a shorter cycle, reducing the exposure to drought and pests, and are more resistant to pests than previous local varieties.  As a result, they provide higher crop yields.

The project’s interventions include training more than 1,000 lead farmers (early adopters who can then train others in the community) in climate-smart agriculture and natural resource management, as well as over 2,000 community members in disaster risk reduction; setting up 432 savings and internal lending communities to boost investment and community resources; and empowering over 500 Nigeriens and Malians (over 30% of whom are women) to become more involved and knowledgeable in local governance, land titling, and community disaster mitigation planning.

In order to better and more sustainably promote the use of certified seeds in particular, CRS is working with the private sector to make inroads with local farmers. 

These private sector partnerships, which seek to leverage companies’ existing strengths and networks, work with agricultural institutions to provide foundation seeds to seed multipliers, who then act as a reseller and distributor to farmers across the country.   

That implies an increase in farmers’ understanding of certified seeds and in the number of local distribution centres. 

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

As with any new initiative of this kind, there are justifiable concerns regarding the reception of the programme and potential market distortions.   

With traditional seeds, farmers would be guaranteed seeds of a known quality each growing season (approximately from June to September), as the seeds were always a by-product of the previous year’s crop. That is not true of certified seeds as their quality degrades over time. 

It is recommended that after two successive harvests, farmers purchase new seeds from distributors.

Although the creation of an entirely new seed market is an undeniable market distortion, the provision of better inputs such as certified seeds can create jobs and boost the private sector in a promising, untapped market. 

Moreover, private companies will be encouraged to provide certified seeds if they see profit potential. That would also reduce the reliance on aid organisations to provide certified seeds or hold seed fairs.

WIDE TAKE-UP

To date, the results of the new varieties of certified seeds in Niger and Mali have been exceptional – since the programme’s inception 18 months ago, 466 farmers have adopted them. 

In Niger, despite below-average early rains and pest attacks on millet and cowpea in 2015-16, producers who used short-cycle seeds and adopted improved agricultural practices had significantly higher yields than producers who used old seed varieties.

In Mali, a 15 percent increase in the uptake of certified seeds for rice has also led to considerable productivity gains.

One beneficiary had this to say about the use of certified seeds:

“On the project’s recommendation I bought 1 kg of sesame seeds – which are more resistant to drought and insects – from the local distributor, and planted them with sorghum on about 1.5 hectares without using any fertiliser,” explained Daouda Bagouma, a farmer from Kokorou, Niger.

“At the harvest, I collected 250 kg of the new type of sesame compared to local sesame that gave me just 100 kg,” she added.  “It also keeps its leaves and buds longer than the local varieties so that more of the product can be harvested when the plant reaches maturity. 

“I’ve not only increased my sesame production, but also gained access to improved seeds at an affordable price and convenient location,” she said.

Adapting to the pernicious effects of climate change requires an approach that encompasses governance reform, health and nutrition, and disaster risk reduction—an agenda that BRACED is helping to move forward.

So far evidence shows that the adoption of certified seeds should be a part of that response.