Author

Contributing to Linking small –farmers to local and regional markets in vegetable marketing and

trade Presenter Ronia Tanyongana

Contributors Chris Ojiewo

Takemore Chagomoka Victor Afari –Sefa

For CTA – East Africa

Briefing

Entebbe 12-13November 2010

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About AVRDCAbout AVRDC

About AVRDC• AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center is an

international non-profit research and development institution committed to alleviating poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables.

“ Alleviate poverty and malnutrition

in the developing world

through increased production

and consumption

of nutritious, health-promoting

vegetables”

Our mission

Regional and project officesRegional and project offices

UzbekistanKorea

Taiwan

Thailand

IndonesiaSolomon

Islands

India

Dubai

Madagascar

Tanzania

Mali Niger

Cameroon

South Africa

Our Locations

Research and Development: Research and Development: Four global themesFour global themes

Germplasm conservation, evaluation and gene discovery

Genetic enhancement, varietal development, selection of indigenous lines, seed production

Safe and sustainable vegetableproduction systems

Postharvest management and market opportunities; nutritional security, diet diversification and human health

Germplasm

Breeding

Consumption

Production

Strategy: Vegetable Value Strategy: Vegetable Value ChainChain

Seed Breeding

Seed testing

Seed production

Vegetable production

Post harvest

Markets Consumption & nutrition

Breeding, testing and release

Basic/foundation seed production

Seed Commercialization, improving production &

consumption systems

RBUs &Regulator

Private sector &

Regulator

Public & Private sector &

Civic Society

Our Focus Our Focus

• Vegetables Based/Integrated Approaches for Improved Food and Nutrition Security in Africa

EMPHASISEMPHASIS

Why Vegetables?Why Vegetables?

• Vegetables are companions to all staple foods during consumption.

• Vegetables are key sources of nutrients and health-promoting phytocompounds

• Vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, iron, protein, minerals and fibre, as well as micronutrients (Bouis and Hunt, 1999):

8/15

The Double burden in Africa The Double burden in Africa Perennial Problem Emerging problem

Why Vegetables? Why Vegetables?

• Vegetables are high value crops and way for farmers to increase incomes and escape poverty

• The vegetable industry is one of the most integrated which generates more cash income per area unit than other food crops of the agricultural sector (Weinberger and Lumpkin 2007).

• Vegetables are of special importance to resource-poor women as they are high-value crops which can be grown on small household plots which are typically a woman’s responsibility.

AmaranthEthiopian mustard

Jute mallow

African eggplant

Okra

Diversity of African Indigenous VegetablesDiversity of African Indigenous Vegetables

African nightshadeRoselle

Regional Breeding UnitsRegional Breeding UnitsThe RBU Team in Alaotra Region

Madagascar

The RBU Team in Samanko Region Bamako - Mali

Part of the RBU Team in ArushaAVRDC-RCA

The RBU Team in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Regional Breeding Support – Regional Breeding Support – Capacity BuildingCapacity Building

Understanding plant Pathology

Building capacity in seed health and quality

Capacity building in vegetable breeding

AVRDC Africa Region Training Courses (1994-2010)

TrainingCourse

Number Trained

Participants

Vegetable Production and Research

(4-5 months)

302 NARES (mainly), private sector, and NGO’s

Special skills Training(1 wk – 2.5 months)

218 NARES (mainly), private sector, and NGO’s

In-Country Vegetable production management

(1 week)

476 NARES (mainly), private sector, NGO’s, CBO’s, Civil

society, International organizations

Research Internship(1 – 6 months)

69 Undergraduate Students

Graduate Research Training(1 month – 2 years)

28 Msc and Ph.D. students

Vegetable production, processing and preservation

(2-3 days)

2867 Progressive Farmers, CBO’s, NGO’s, College students

On-Station and On-farm On-Station and On-farm Multi-location trialsMulti-location trials

PVS: a fast tract approach to variety release and demand promotion in Tanzania

Farmers in Dodoma and Iringa region selected African nightshade lines BG16 due to its late flowering habit and broad dark green leaves which they said makes it quite appealing as a

leafy vegetable. Seeds of the line BG18, a Solanum americanum was also demanded.

Multi-location variety Multi-location variety testing: Private Sector testing: Private Sector

Innovation PlatformsInnovation Platforms

Innovation Platform members of the vBSS Madagascar Hub planning vegetable breeding

strategies for their country

Innovation Platform members of the vBSS Tanzania Hub on RCA field

inspection

Pending Releases in Tanzania HubPending Releases in Tanzania Hub

Crop LinesEthiopian mustard ST3, MLEM1

Tomato LBR11, LBR6

African nightshade SS49, BG16, TZSMN55-3

African eggplant DB3, AB2 & Mayire Green

Spider plant GPS and PS

Cowpea CP-ML-5

Sweet Pepper ISPN7-3, 9946-2192

Hot Pepper 9950-5107

Private Sector Engagement in Private Sector Engagement in Commercialisation of VegetablesCommercialisation of Vegetables

Alpha Seeds - Tanzania LAGROTECH SEEDS - Kenya

Seed CommercializationSeed CommercializationEast Africa Seeds

Kibo Seeds

East Africa

GRN Sarl Cameroon

SEMANA Madagascar

African eggplant is now a popular cash crop in Tanzania

Farmers get on average $1,200/ha/season

From Farms to Markets; Adoption of improved

variety● Sweeter than traditional var.

● Higher income (2-3 times)

Major constraints - No formal seed supply

- Limited access to seeds

Linking Farmers to MarketsLinking Farmers to Markets

Bvumbwe Market - Malawi Shoprite Madagascar

Line DB3

High value marketing of improved variety

Linkage to high value

markets

Demand CreationDemand Creation

ACTIVITIES• Field Days• Agricultural Shows• Seed fairs

Private Sector Engagement in Private Sector Engagement in Commercialisation of VegetablesCommercialisation of Vegetables

Demand Creation of Vegetables - Dharsh

Demand Creation of Vegetable seeds – Cains

Challenges Challenges

To define the value chain pathways in terms of income enhancement and nutrition improvement;

To coordinate stakeholder efforts along the value chain; To address the issue of availability of good quality seeds,

both at the national and regional level; To ensure adequate foundation seed; To improve business planning and forecasting by public

and private partners; To maintain variety quality through capacity building and

strengthening the regulatory system;

Accelerate the process of demand creation through education and capacity building for both exotic but more so indigenous vegetable varieties;

Uplift, where required, the regulatory environment and promote quality of operations, avoiding falling into a trap of over-regulation;

Instill and maintain an Innovative Systems (Network) Approach and create / strengthen a platform for private – public dialogue and planning for vegetable value chain management;

Encourage innovative processes of adoption both in producing improved varieties, post harvest technologies and marketing strategies

Opportunities to support vegetable value chains