Market and Seeds Access Project launches with a bang

Earlier this month, a diverse group of stakeholders gathered to celebrate the beginning of what will be a 12-year effort to create a vibrant and community-driven seed and commodity market system, sparking income opportunities across rural districts in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the official launch of the Market and Seeds Access Project (MASAP) in Lusaka, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Deputy Director Dr Frederique Weyer noted the importance of linking smallholder farmers directly to seed producers and farmers’ associations. “For Switzerland, seed is a key input for improving agricultural productivity and ensuring food security. Access to quality seeds facilities food research diversification and improved nutrition at the household level,” she said. Switzerland has become a prominent trusted partner in the seed sector and Dr Weyer explained the country is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure rural livelihoods in Zambia and Zimbabwe are uplifted.

Some background on MASAP

Running in three phases of four years each, MASAP aims to improve resilience in food security, especially among women and youth, by increasing smallholder farmer utilisation of improved open and self-pollinated varieties of small grains and legumes. Because open self- and cross-pollination occurs naturally (i.e., by insects, birds or wind)  among a population of plants of the same variety, the resulting crops are more genetically diverse and can more easily adapt to local growing conditions and the changing climate. The longer term outcome are a strengthening of the seed and commodity value chains.

NIRAS is implementing the first phase of MASAP in collaboration with the Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). Primary project beneficiaries will be smallholder farmers and seed producers as well as community-owned enterprises, associations, researchers, agro-processors, breeders and policy makers. There is a target of increasing women and youth participation in enterprises and associations by up 60% and 40%, respectively.

NIRAS Zambia Country Director Ella Lundström assisting the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia, Mr Green Mbozi in cutting the ribbon remarking the formal launch of MASAP.

Taking a market systems approach

Today the provision of seed is controlled by the formal sector and farmers are not always able to access and save high quality varieties of their choice. MASAP will work together with key stakeholders in the private sector as partners to link them closer to the farmers in a market systems development (MSD) approach. As Zambia’s Agriculture Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mr Green Mbozi, explains “MASAP will promote the amalgamation of the informal and formal provision of seed. This development will provide the commercial opportunity for the private sector to venture into production and multiplication of open-and cross pollinated varieties and climate-resilient self-pollinated growth.”

Mr Mbozi noted that the project has come at a good time in Zambia as the new administration is promoting crop diversification through production of a broader spectrum of drought tolerant crops and the Government is committed to transforming agriculture as a business by addressing challenges facing the sector.