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Achieving seed security - In Lebanon, new services are delivering quality seed and frequent advice to the country's smallholder farmers
September 15, 2014
Source: ICARDA
Terms like 'business process', 'transaction cost' and 'customer needs' have the ring of a private sector company. In Lebanon, LARI, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, has put in place a range of services to deliver quality seed and frequent advice to improve agricultural production for its key customers – Lebanese farmers.
Lebanese farmers produce some10% of the country's annual wheat supply and a substantial portion of yearly food needs in other crops including barley, chickpea, faba bean, and lentil. In the past, the supply of seed for national wheat production was provided partly by government agricultural services and partly from formal and informal seed markets.
Prior to 2010, seed quality and availability were an on-going concern for many farmers. They often had to choose between expensive imported varieties, stock of indeterminate origin which was low yielding and not adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, or seed from the parallel market, running the risk that it carried disease. Other varieties bought from international suppliers were robust at home, but not necessarily suitable for the conditions in Lebanon – many were susceptible to rust, smut, fungus, or Sunn Pest – and came with a cost of up to three times the price that farmers paid in the national system.
At this time, Lebanon did not have a framework or seed law to govern the supply of high-quality seed to farmers. The national seed multiplication program made available some 1000 tons of wheat per year, a contribution, but not sufficient to supply all wheat growing farmers' needs.
MAKING THE NATIONAL SEED POLICY WORK
With the adoption of the new national seed policy and law in 2010, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) was tasked with driving forward a national initiative to provide better access to quality seed, starting with wheat. Progress in the past two years has been impressive. National wheat seed stocks have now grown from 1000 to 8000 tons – some 200% of the national need for its wheat producing farmers.
Lebanon is a small country but has a wide diversity of agricultural biodiversity and agro-ecosystems, so managing the national seed system requires a team that is responsive to farmers' specific needs, explains LARI President Director General, Michel Afram. "We have three agro-climatic zones ranging from high rainfall- high humidity to medium precipitation and very arid areas. This, combined with a range of soil types, means that to support the seed policy requires a breeding program and information that addresses all farmers' conditions."
To do this, the team links the national genebank – managed at LARI by Ms Joelle Breidy – of indigenous crop wild relatives, with a breeding program aimed at breeding resistance from wild plants into the new high-yielding varieties, followed by seed production and supply.
KEY CUSTOMER: THE FARMER
LARI follows a business model that sees the farmer as a customer and provides value-added services that go beyond the management of the national seed stock, says Dr. Afram. "We provide an integrated service to farmers across the country. It extends from collection and management of plant genetic material, breeding, quality control, and multiplication of seed in sufficient quantities. The service extends to advice on the best performing varieties for farmers' needs, information on sowing quantities and fertilizer use, backed by a smooth administrative system," he explains. LARI's goal is to provide farmers with optimal varieties at the best price.
Every week, LARI brings practical information direct to farmers across the country in text messages to more than 4000 farmers' mobile phones. This is multiplied by forwarded messages to some 250,000 people nationwide. Farmers receive LARI updates on information about upcoming weather conditions (e.g.‘finish planting today, heavy rains expected in 24 hours…’), fertilizer and seed dosage, or the availability of new, improved wheat varieties. And this exchange of practical information flows both ways. Last year, farmers informed LARI of the spread of wheat- damaging Sunn Pest in some regions. After
LARI technicians verified the situation in the field, the Ministry of Agriculture was notified to mobilize helicopters for pesticide spraying to reduce risks to wheat production. To meet the challenge of this
800% increase in wheat seed production and supply, LARI has upgraded its breeding and seed multiplication programs and strengthened the seed production facility. It has added new machines, more skilled technicians, and bigger warehouse facilities. At peak periods before sowing time, the team has a throughput of 10-15 t/hour for seed cleaning and packaging, says Rabih Kabalan, Head of plant breeding and improvement, who has managed the transition to the new larger-scale operation.
All this is supported by a streamlined administrative system. Naddaf, LARI's Chief Accountant is the architect of business processes for managing the sale of seeds. "We have reduced the transaction time for our client, the Lebanese farmer, from hours to minutes," he says. Farmers show their national identity card, make the payment, and immediately collect the seed in the warehouse. The stock is managed 'just in time', with seed collected by farmers at sowing time – ideally the day before planting – so it is stored in favorable conditions on the LARI compound. "All our accounting and past purchase information is on- line, which helps us manage the stocks, see who buys which varieties, so we can know what the client is likely to need for the next growing season," he explains.
BEST APPROACH?
But with the current trend toward more globalization and the push for public services to devolve more activities to the private sector in the name of efficiency, is such a centralized distribution of seeds in Lebanon not moving in the opposite direction? Assessing the country's situation, Lebanese policy makers found that for the country's size and the characteristics of its agricultural economy, a centrally-managed seed procurement and production system is the best approach.
Says Michel Afram: "Farmers are free to purchase certified seed products from the market. LARI certifies seed varieties from other producers, guaranteeing that they are healthy and suitable for Lebanese conditions. But by managing the entire process – from breeding to seed delivery – we can guarantee stability for our farmers and the national food production system."
With the upgraded wheat supply chain running smoothly, the next target for the LARI team is to ensure national seed security for other strategic crops. National stocks of barley seed are currently at 800 tons (2500 t/year are needed), with plans to expand further – including lentil, chickpea, faba bean, legumes, and forage plants. The National Cereal and Legume Development Plan calls for a stock of 200 tons of chickpea and 100 tons of lentil.
As LARI's services progress, how can the center be sure that it is on the right track in making the national policy work? The answer is simple, says the team: ask our farmers.
Terms like 'business process', 'transaction cost' and 'customer needs' have the ring of a private sector company. In Lebanon, LARI, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, has put in place a range of services to deliver quality seed and frequent advice to improve agricultural production for its key customers – Lebanese farmers.
Lebanese farmers produce some10% of the country's annual wheat supply and a substantial portion of yearly food needs in other crops including barley, chickpea, faba bean, and lentil. In the past, the supply of seed for national wheat production was provided partly by government agricultural services and partly from formal and informal seed markets.
Prior to 2010, seed quality and availability were an on-going concern for many farmers. They often had to choose between expensive imported varieties, stock of indeterminate origin which was low yielding and not adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, or seed from the parallel market, running the risk that it carried disease. Other varieties bought from international suppliers were robust at home, but not necessarily suitable for the conditions in Lebanon – many were susceptible to rust, smut, fungus, or Sunn Pest – and came with a cost of up to three times the price that farmers paid in the national system.
At this time, Lebanon did not have a framework or seed law to govern the supply of high-quality seed to farmers. The national seed multiplication program made available some 1000 tons of wheat per year, a contribution, but not sufficient to supply all wheat growing farmers' needs.
MAKING THE NATIONAL SEED POLICY WORK
With the adoption of the new national seed policy and law in 2010, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) was tasked with driving forward a national initiative to provide better access to quality seed, starting with wheat. Progress in the past two years has been impressive. National wheat seed stocks have now grown from 1000 to 8000 tons – some 200% of the national need for its wheat producing farmers.
Lebanon is a small country but has a wide diversity of agricultural biodiversity and agro-ecosystems, so managing the national seed system requires a team that is responsive to farmers' specific needs, explains LARI President Director General, Michel Afram. "We have three agro-climatic zones ranging from high rainfall- high humidity to medium precipitation and very arid areas. This, combined with a range of soil types, means that to support the seed policy requires a breeding program and information that addresses all farmers' conditions."
To do this, the team links the national genebank – managed at LARI by Ms Joelle Breidy – of indigenous crop wild relatives, with a breeding program aimed at breeding resistance from wild plants into the new high-yielding varieties, followed by seed production and supply.
KEY CUSTOMER: THE FARMER
LARI follows a business model that sees the farmer as a customer and provides value-added services that go beyond the management of the national seed stock, says Dr. Afram. "We provide an integrated service to farmers across the country. It extends from collection and management of plant genetic material, breeding, quality control, and multiplication of seed in sufficient quantities. The service extends to advice on the best performing varieties for farmers' needs, information on sowing quantities and fertilizer use, backed by a smooth administrative system," he explains. LARI's goal is to provide farmers with optimal varieties at the best price.
Every week, LARI brings practical information direct to farmers across the country in text messages to more than 4000 farmers' mobile phones. This is multiplied by forwarded messages to some 250,000 people nationwide. Farmers receive LARI updates on information about upcoming weather conditions (e.g.‘finish planting today, heavy rains expected in 24 hours…’), fertilizer and seed dosage, or the availability of new, improved wheat varieties. And this exchange of practical information flows both ways. Last year, farmers informed LARI of the spread of wheat- damaging Sunn Pest in some regions. After
LARI technicians verified the situation in the field, the Ministry of Agriculture was notified to mobilize helicopters for pesticide spraying to reduce risks to wheat production. To meet the challenge of this
800% increase in wheat seed production and supply, LARI has upgraded its breeding and seed multiplication programs and strengthened the seed production facility. It has added new machines, more skilled technicians, and bigger warehouse facilities. At peak periods before sowing time, the team has a throughput of 10-15 t/hour for seed cleaning and packaging, says Rabih Kabalan, Head of plant breeding and improvement, who has managed the transition to the new larger-scale operation.
All this is supported by a streamlined administrative system. Naddaf, LARI's Chief Accountant is the architect of business processes for managing the sale of seeds. "We have reduced the transaction time for our client, the Lebanese farmer, from hours to minutes," he says. Farmers show their national identity card, make the payment, and immediately collect the seed in the warehouse. The stock is managed 'just in time', with seed collected by farmers at sowing time – ideally the day before planting – so it is stored in favorable conditions on the LARI compound. "All our accounting and past purchase information is on- line, which helps us manage the stocks, see who buys which varieties, so we can know what the client is likely to need for the next growing season," he explains.
BEST APPROACH?
But with the current trend toward more globalization and the push for public services to devolve more activities to the private sector in the name of efficiency, is such a centralized distribution of seeds in Lebanon not moving in the opposite direction? Assessing the country's situation, Lebanese policy makers found that for the country's size and the characteristics of its agricultural economy, a centrally-managed seed procurement and production system is the best approach.
Says Michel Afram: "Farmers are free to purchase certified seed products from the market. LARI certifies seed varieties from other producers, guaranteeing that they are healthy and suitable for Lebanese conditions. But by managing the entire process – from breeding to seed delivery – we can guarantee stability for our farmers and the national food production system."
With the upgraded wheat supply chain running smoothly, the next target for the LARI team is to ensure national seed security for other strategic crops. National stocks of barley seed are currently at 800 tons (2500 t/year are needed), with plans to expand further – including lentil, chickpea, faba bean, legumes, and forage plants. The National Cereal and Legume Development Plan calls for a stock of 200 tons of chickpea and 100 tons of lentil.
As LARI's services progress, how can the center be sure that it is on the right track in making the national policy work? The answer is simple, says the team: ask our farmers.
- See more at: http://www.icarda.org/making-seed-security-service-farmers#sthash.1j4ouJFB.dpuf
Terms like 'business process', 'transaction cost' and 'customer needs' have the ring of a private sector company. In Lebanon, LARI, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, has put in place a range of services to deliver quality seed and frequent advice to improve agricultural production for its key customers – Lebanese farmers.
Lebanese farmers produce some10% of the country's annual wheat supply and a substantial portion of yearly food needs in other crops including barley, chickpea, faba bean, and lentil. In the past, the supply of seed for national wheat production was provided partly by government agricultural services and partly from formal and informal seed markets.
Prior to 2010, seed quality and availability were an on-going concern for many farmers. They often had to choose between expensive imported varieties, stock of indeterminate origin which was low yielding and not adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, or seed from the parallel market, running the risk that it carried disease. Other varieties bought from international suppliers were robust at home, but not necessarily suitable for the conditions in Lebanon – many were susceptible to rust, smut, fungus, or Sunn Pest – and came with a cost of up to three times the price that farmers paid in the national system.
At this time, Lebanon did not have a framework or seed law to govern the supply of high-quality seed to farmers. The national seed multiplication program made available some 1000 tons of wheat per year, a contribution, but not sufficient to supply all wheat growing farmers' needs.
MAKING THE NATIONAL SEED POLICY WORK
With the adoption of the new national seed policy and law in 2010, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) was tasked with driving forward a national initiative to provide better access to quality seed, starting with wheat. Progress in the past two years has been impressive. National wheat seed stocks have now grown from 1000 to 8000 tons – some 200% of the national need for its wheat producing farmers.
Lebanon is a small country but has a wide diversity of agricultural biodiversity and agro-ecosystems, so managing the national seed system requires a team that is responsive to farmers' specific needs, explains LARI President Director General, Michel Afram. "We have three agro-climatic zones ranging from high rainfall- high humidity to medium precipitation and very arid areas. This, combined with a range of soil types, means that to support the seed policy requires a breeding program and information that addresses all farmers' conditions."
To do this, the team links the national genebank – managed at LARI by Ms Joelle Breidy – of indigenous crop wild relatives, with a breeding program aimed at breeding resistance from wild plants into the new high-yielding varieties, followed by seed production and supply.
KEY CUSTOMER: THE FARMER
LARI follows a business model that sees the farmer as a customer and provides value-added services that go beyond the management of the national seed stock, says Dr. Afram. "We provide an integrated service to farmers across the country. It extends from collection and management of plant genetic material, breeding, quality control, and multiplication of seed in sufficient quantities. The service extends to advice on the best performing varieties for farmers' needs, information on sowing quantities and fertilizer use, backed by a smooth administrative system," he explains. LARI's goal is to provide farmers with optimal varieties at the best price.
Every week, LARI brings practical information direct to farmers across the country in text messages to more than 4000 farmers' mobile phones. This is multiplied by forwarded messages to some 250,000 people nationwide. Farmers receive LARI updates on information about upcoming weather conditions (e.g.‘finish planting today, heavy rains expected in 24 hours…’), fertilizer and seed dosage, or the availability of new, improved wheat varieties. And this exchange of practical information flows both ways. Last year, farmers informed LARI of the spread of wheat- damaging Sunn Pest in some regions. After
LARI technicians verified the situation in the field, the Ministry of Agriculture was notified to mobilize helicopters for pesticide spraying to reduce risks to wheat production. To meet the challenge of this
800% increase in wheat seed production and supply, LARI has upgraded its breeding and seed multiplication programs and strengthened the seed production facility. It has added new machines, more skilled technicians, and bigger warehouse facilities. At peak periods before sowing time, the team has a throughput of 10-15 t/hour for seed cleaning and packaging, says Rabih Kabalan, Head of plant breeding and improvement, who has managed the transition to the new larger-scale operation.
All this is supported by a streamlined administrative system. Naddaf, LARI's Chief Accountant is the architect of business processes for managing the sale of seeds. "We have reduced the transaction time for our client, the Lebanese farmer, from hours to minutes," he says. Farmers show their national identity card, make the payment, and immediately collect the seed in the warehouse. The stock is managed 'just in time', with seed collected by farmers at sowing time – ideally the day before planting – so it is stored in favorable conditions on the LARI compound. "All our accounting and past purchase information is on- line, which helps us manage the stocks, see who buys which varieties, so we can know what the client is likely to need for the next growing season," he explains.
BEST APPROACH?
But with the current trend toward more globalization and the push for public services to devolve more activities to the private sector in the name of efficiency, is such a centralized distribution of seeds in Lebanon not moving in the opposite direction? Assessing the country's situation, Lebanese policy makers found that for the country's size and the characteristics of its agricultural economy, a centrally-managed seed procurement and production system is the best approach.
Says Michel Afram: "Farmers are free to purchase certified seed products from the market. LARI certifies seed varieties from other producers, guaranteeing that they are healthy and suitable for Lebanese conditions. But by managing the entire process – from breeding to seed delivery – we can guarantee stability for our farmers and the national food production system."
With the upgraded wheat supply chain running smoothly, the next target for the LARI team is to ensure national seed security for other strategic crops. National stocks of barley seed are currently at 800 tons (2500 t/year are needed), with plans to expand further – including lentil, chickpea, faba bean, legumes, and forage plants. The National Cereal and Legume Development Plan calls for a stock of 200 tons of chickpea and 100 tons of lentil.
As LARI's services progress, how can the center be sure that it is on the right track in making the national policy work? The answer is simple, says the team: ask our farmers.
- See more at: http://www.icarda.org/making-seed-security-service-farmers#sthash.1j4ouJFB.dpuf
Terms like 'business process', 'transaction cost' and 'customer needs' have the ring of a private sector company. In Lebanon, LARI, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, has put in place a range of services to deliver quality seed and frequent advice to improve agricultural production for its key customers – Lebanese farmers.
Lebanese farmers produce some10% of the country's annual wheat supply and a substantial portion of yearly food needs in other crops including barley, chickpea, faba bean, and lentil. In the past, the supply of seed for national wheat production was provided partly by government agricultural services and partly from formal and informal seed markets.
Prior to 2010, seed quality and availability were an on-going concern for many farmers. They often had to choose between expensive imported varieties, stock of indeterminate origin which was low yielding and not adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, or seed from the parallel market, running the risk that it carried disease. Other varieties bought from international suppliers were robust at home, but not necessarily suitable for the conditions in Lebanon – many were susceptible to rust, smut, fungus, or Sunn Pest – and came with a cost of up to three times the price that farmers paid in the national system.
At this time, Lebanon did not have a framework or seed law to govern the supply of high-quality seed to farmers. The national seed multiplication program made available some 1000 tons of wheat per year, a contribution, but not sufficient to supply all wheat growing farmers' needs.
MAKING THE NATIONAL SEED POLICY WORK
With the adoption of the new national seed policy and law in 2010, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) was tasked with driving forward a national initiative to provide better access to quality seed, starting with wheat. Progress in the past two years has been impressive. National wheat seed stocks have now grown from 1000 to 8000 tons – some 200% of the national need for its wheat producing farmers.
Lebanon is a small country but has a wide diversity of agricultural biodiversity and agro-ecosystems, so managing the national seed system requires a team that is responsive to farmers' specific needs, explains LARI President Director General, Michel Afram. "We have three agro-climatic zones ranging from high rainfall- high humidity to medium precipitation and very arid areas. This, combined with a range of soil types, means that to support the seed policy requires a breeding program and information that addresses all farmers' conditions."
To do this, the team links the national genebank – managed at LARI by Ms Joelle Breidy – of indigenous crop wild relatives, with a breeding program aimed at breeding resistance from wild plants into the new high-yielding varieties, followed by seed production and supply.
KEY CUSTOMER: THE FARMER
LARI follows a business model that sees the farmer as a customer and provides value-added services that go beyond the management of the national seed stock, says Dr. Afram. "We provide an integrated service to farmers across the country. It extends from collection and management of plant genetic material, breeding, quality control, and multiplication of seed in sufficient quantities. The service extends to advice on the best performing varieties for farmers' needs, information on sowing quantities and fertilizer use, backed by a smooth administrative system," he explains. LARI's goal is to provide farmers with optimal varieties at the best price.
Every week, LARI brings practical information direct to farmers across the country in text messages to more than 4000 farmers' mobile phones. This is multiplied by forwarded messages to some 250,000 people nationwide. Farmers receive LARI updates on information about upcoming weather conditions (e.g.‘finish planting today, heavy rains expected in 24 hours…’), fertilizer and seed dosage, or the availability of new, improved wheat varieties. And this exchange of practical information flows both ways. Last year, farmers informed LARI of the spread of wheat- damaging Sunn Pest in some regions. After
LARI technicians verified the situation in the field, the Ministry of Agriculture was notified to mobilize helicopters for pesticide spraying to reduce risks to wheat production. To meet the challenge of this
800% increase in wheat seed production and supply, LARI has upgraded its breeding and seed multiplication programs and strengthened the seed production facility. It has added new machines, more skilled technicians, and bigger warehouse facilities. At peak periods before sowing time, the team has a throughput of 10-15 t/hour for seed cleaning and packaging, says Rabih Kabalan, Head of plant breeding and improvement, who has managed the transition to the new larger-scale operation.
All this is supported by a streamlined administrative system. Naddaf, LARI's Chief Accountant is the architect of business processes for managing the sale of seeds. "We have reduced the transaction time for our client, the Lebanese farmer, from hours to minutes," he says. Farmers show their national identity card, make the payment, and immediately collect the seed in the warehouse. The stock is managed 'just in time', with seed collected by farmers at sowing time – ideally the day before planting – so it is stored in favorable conditions on the LARI compound. "All our accounting and past purchase information is on- line, which helps us manage the stocks, see who buys which varieties, so we can know what the client is likely to need for the next growing season," he explains.
BEST APPROACH?
But with the current trend toward more globalization and the push for public services to devolve more activities to the private sector in the name of efficiency, is such a centralized distribution of seeds in Lebanon not moving in the opposite direction? Assessing the country's situation, Lebanese policy makers found that for the country's size and the characteristics of its agricultural economy, a centrally-managed seed procurement and production system is the best approach.
Says Michel Afram: "Farmers are free to purchase certified seed products from the market. LARI certifies seed varieties from other producers, guaranteeing that they are healthy and suitable for Lebanese conditions. But by managing the entire process – from breeding to seed delivery – we can guarantee stability for our farmers and the national food production system."
With the upgraded wheat supply chain running smoothly, the next target for the LARI team is to ensure national seed security for other strategic crops. National stocks of barley seed are currently at 800 tons (2500 t/year are needed), with plans to expand further – including lentil, chickpea, faba bean, legumes, and forage plants. The National Cereal and Legume Development Plan calls for a stock of 200 tons of chickpea and 100 tons of lentil.
As LARI's services progress, how can the center be sure that it is on the right track in making the national policy work? The answer is simple, says the team: ask our farmers.
- See more at: http://www.icarda.org/making-seed-security-service-farmers#sthash.1j4ouJFB.dpuf
More solutions from: ICARDA (International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas)
Website: http://www.icarda.org Published: September 15, 2014 |
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