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Southern Africa Landrace Research, Extension
and Development Project (SALRED)
The Southern Africa Landrace Research
and Development (SALRED) Mutoko Community Seed Bank
Project emerged in 1995 following a SADC/GTZ sponsored
‘Sorghum Landrace Study’ the previous year.
The study collected information from farmers in the
semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe about the availability
of traditional crop seeds, and their perceptions of
the role played by small grains in the conflict between
the need to obtain cash and the need to achieve household
food security, and explored the potential benefits of
a small grain seed supply programme in the rural communities
living in the study areas.
The overall objective of the project
was to enhance farmers’ livelihoods through conservation
and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food
and agriculture. The specific objectives were to improve
farmers’ access to seed through outsourcing, exchange
and communal storage; to promote diversified farming
through new crop introductions; to promote local production
and exchange of good quality disease free seed; and
to network farmers with input suppliers and markets.
Farmers at community meetings to discuss
the results of the Sorghum Landrace Study suggested
that communal seed storage structures would help alleviate
chronic seed shortages, and agreed to consult with their
local leadership for land for the project. The project
started in 1996 with the establishment of four community
groups one from each of the four participating wards.
A management committee was elected in each group to
oversee the management of the Seed Bank. A production
team would arrange for field shows, seed fairs and set
dates for harvesting of seed, supervise seed production
grading, treatment and storage. They would also be responsible
for the sale of any surplus seed. A constitution was
put in place setting rules of practice. The four seedbanks
followed the same design using locally available resources
as much as possible. The local farmers moulded bricks,
provided builders and contributed towards thatching.
SALRED assisted with money for cement, doors and doorframes.
The main institutions involved in the project are SALRED,
the Department of Research and Extension (AREX) and
the farmers themselves.
Programme Acivities included:
- Construction of community seed storage
structures
- Farmer-farmer seed sourcing and exchange
- Introduction of new crops in the
areas eg cassava and jutrofa.
- Organising seed fairs and green shows.
- On-farm seed multiplication and marketing.
- On-farm characterisation of landraces
- Farmer training in seed production,
selection and storage.
- Commercial marketing of seed produced
on-farm using local landraces
- Farmer training in business management
- Farmer exchange visits
- Farmer training in post harvest processing
Although all the seedbanks are still
intact there is reduced activity due to two main reasons.
The first and most important is the withdrawal of SALRED
from the project. SALRED handed over the project to
AREX in 2001. Since then it has proved difficult for
the farmers to continue receiving the assistance SALRED
used to offer. This has prompted the farmers to scale
down on most of the activities.
Despite this the project had several
successes including:
- There is a marked increase
in diversity in the area. The number of traditional
varieties of Pearl Millet increased from three to
nine and four improved varieties were introduced.
The number of traditional varieties of Sorghum increased
from one to ten and four more improved varieties were
introduced. The number of traditional varieties of
Finger Millet increased from zero to five and three
improved varieties were introduced. The number of
traditional varieties of Cowpeas increased from one
to five and two improved varieties were introduced.
The number of traditional varieties of Vigna Radiata
increased from zero to three. Six improved varieties
of Peanuts were introduced and eight traditional varieties
of Pumpkin were introduced.
- Increased seed security
- Increased income
- Farmers have increased
knowledge about diversity, conservation, nutrition
and other life skills like business management etc
- Increased participation
of disadvantaged members of the community in community
initiatives
Key factors influencing success included:
- A focus on the immediate needs of
farmers such as seed security and income generation
by ensuring a market for the seed grown
- The initial GTZ funded survey helped
project implementers to make contacts and network
with various organisations (e.g. ORAP).
- The project's integrated or holistic
approach to on-farm conservation, not just focusing
on building community stores.
- Transparency to all on the objective
of the project.
- Approaching the community through
appropriate local structures.
- High level of farmer participation
in project planning, goal setting, and implementation.
- There were no criteria for selecting
participants. The project embraced all interested
parties.
- There was a strong sense of ownership
and community empowerment.
- The full-time field officer was a
member of the community.
Lessons for other projects include:
- The importance of networking with
other national and regional programmes, projects and
organisations.
- The importance of creating a sense
of ownership within the community.
- Using existing authority structures
to ensure that the project is run along familiar lines
and under authorities they respect.
- The value of continuous dialogue
between all stakeholders to build trust and encourage
and empower farmers.
- Farmers will only support on-farm
conservation if it addresses felt needs. SALRED provided
increased seed security and marketing opportunities
that added to income generation.
Abisai Mafa & Joanne Manda
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