SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF BEAN SEEDS IN SWAZILAND?

For one full month, I’ve been trying to get bean seeds for my bean production project.I visited all the places I know and even asked for help from senior people in the Ministry of Agriculture, but the results were negative.

I managed to get only some few kilos from Khuba Traders, unfortunately those kilos were not enough for my project. As the autumn rains started falling, I felt so bad that I’ve missed another important target in my many projects.

I then realised the extent of the situation when I started meeting other farmers who wanted more kilos than I. The interesting part was the response from the traders/suppliers; “we can’t promise when we are going to get another consignment. It might take a month or four.”  I even drove to NAMBoard but that was just a waste of fuel, the report was also negative.

Who exactly is responsible for this mess? Is it the Ministry of Agriculture or the previous minister? Well, I can’t blame the new minister; he’s still new in office. Who exactly in the Ministry of Agriculture is working with these traders or retailers?
Then you tell me we are going to achieve First World status, while we are still failing to stock or produce enough bean seeds? It is now clear that even next year (2015) there’ll be a shortage of beans and the price of dry beans will be definitely high in the country – the laws of supply and demand.

IMPORTANCE
OF BEANS AND ITS SEEDS ACCESSIBILITY

Beans are food/nutrition security crops and source of cash income in east, central and southern Africa. As a short-duration crop (2.5 to four months), they are also key for helping to shorten the hunger periods and for providing quick cash.

Their early maturity and capacity to provide a range of food products (leaves as well as, fresh pods and dry grain) also helps provide a more balanced diet to vulnerable community members (the under five, pregnant mothers and chronically ill people. In some countries of the Great Lakes Region namely Rwanda, Burundi and east Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the bean consumption is estimated at 40kg per year per person (Spilsbury et al. 2004).

In the recent years, bean consumption is on the rise as a result of the increasing scarcity of animal proteins and increasing poverty among the urban and rural poor. In the region, beans are mainly grown by small scale farmers with a very minimum input use except seed. Despite a slight increasing yield trend, beans productivity and yield levels at farm level have remained relatively low and even decreasing in some areas (FAO, 2005).

IS SEED PRODUCTION
A PRIORITY IN
SWAZILAND?

Bean production: During 2008/2009, Enseleni bean variety was planted in Malkerns. The seed grower was contracted by Umlimi Lokhonile Seed Company to produce the variety for him. The total land area under the production of this variety was 2.0ha. At the end, the seed failed seed field inspections because Umlimi Lokhonile Company failed to provide the SQCS inspectors with a variety description. The African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Report on Baseline Study of Swaziland Seed Sector).

 Small-Scale Seed Production: Crops produced under this type of system included the following: groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea), jugo beans (Vigna subterranea), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), mung beans (Phaseolus aureus), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), lentils (Lens culinaris) and sesame (Sesamum indicum).

Breeding material for the legume seed production was from farmers’ saved seed. A total of two hundred and fifty nine (259) seed growers were visited for the inspection of their seed crops and they were from the following areas: Maphungwane, Tikhuba, Mambane, Nsubane, Zombodze, Mankayane and Siphofaneni.

The most produced crop was cowpeas (62.5ha). It was followed by groundnuts (55.7ha) and then jugo beans (45.1 ha). Jugo beans had the highest yield (15.02tonnes) followed by groundnuts (14.19tonnes) and then cowpeas (11.9tonnes). Most farmers had poor storage facilities to store their produce. They stored the produce in their bedrooms and kitchens (these were too hot for any seed storage). As a result, the quality of the legume seeds was compromised (poor germination capacity). The African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Report on Baseline Study of Swaziland Seed Sector).

KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL SMALLHOLDER SEED ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (FAO, 2010):

Conducive policy environment: Comprehensive national seed policies are crucial to the development of seed enterprises of any scale.
Existence of sustained demand for quality seed: The first issue for development of seed enterprises is whether there is a demand that will ensure the long-term commercial survival of the enterprise. The existence of sustained demand is widely recognised as a success factor while the weakness of demand for seed is known to constrain development of seed enterprises.

Availability of improved varieties and source seed: Availability of improved varieties from public sector breeding programmes is one of the key success factors for the growth of smallholder seed enterprises in many countries.
Entrepreneurship, technical skills and capacity: Developing a national seed sector will require that capacities are in place at individual, institutional and policy enabling environment levels.

Access to low interest rate credit: Availability of credit, particularly at government-subsidised interest rates, is considered to be a key success factor, while the lack of credit is a key constraint to a successful seed enterprise development.
Enterprise ownership and profitability: Seed enterprises must be based on local ownership and profitability (in monetary terms or other socio-economic determinants) to ensure their sustainable development and growth.

Infrastructure: Costs of infrastructure, particularly processing and storage facilities, can be a major constraint, although in some countries, policies are in place to subsidise such costs.

Linkages between formal and informal seed sectors: The formal seed sector is the primary source of new crop varieties, and is home to most of the capacity in ‘scientific’ plant breeding, extension services and credit. The informal sector is the primary link to farmers’ and traditional knowledge, especially requirements for new varieties, inputs and services. Strong smallholder seed enterprises can play a key role in linking the two sectors if they have continuous access to improved varieties from public crop breeding programmes.

Communications strategy, branding and marketing: A coherent strategy which, for example, announces new variety registration together with a branding of that variety, should be at the centre of the operation of the smallholder seed enterprise.
Be blessed!

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