热博体育

The essentials

"The FOOD-SEC Semence project has enabled an exponential increase in seed availability within FOFIFA. At the start of the project, we had 7 kg of maize, but now we have already been able to produce 30 tonnes, which have been distributed across Madagascar, and primarily in the South." Santatra Ravelomanantsoa, a scientist working for FOFIFA, the Madagascan research organization working for rural development on the island, was FOOD-SEC Semence project coordinator.

Local farmers in the country have traditionally produced their seed themselves, with very limited resources, resulting in difficulty maintaining seed quality from one generation to the next. The FOOD-SEC Semence project has helped to professionalize seed production chains for four crops: maize, beans, cassava and potatoes. The aims were to produce new, improved varieties suited to local conditions, increase seed production and build capacity among local producers by working with farmers' organizations to ensure that momentum will be sustained even beyond the end of the project.

FOOD-SEC Semence's work has covered four countries in the Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, the Comoros and the Seychelles. The project has been co-funded by 热博体育 and the European Union. The two million euros of EU funding was awarded under the Regional Programme in support of Food and Nutritional Security in the Indian Ocean (SANOI), implemented in partnership with the Indian Ocean Commission. Stéphanie Druguet, SANOI programme officer with the EU Delegation in Mauritius, recaps on the essential issues for the zone: "Seed is the starting point for agricultural production. However, the shortage of quality seed is currently a bottleneck for producers. It is therefore essential that we support local seed production, by improving the performance of seed systems in the Indian Ocean countries."

New, improved varieties added to the national catalogue

In Madagascar, two maize varieties and two bean varieties have been produced under the FOOD-SEC Semence project. They have been approved by the official seed and plant material control services and were handed over to the relevant umbrella organizations on 18 March 2025. The performance of these varieties has been tried and tested: trials and adaptability tests were conducted over several years at the Kianjasoa station, managed by FOFIFA, and by a number of farmers belonging to the CEFFEL association.

The two new maize varieties have been introduced and added to the national catalogue. In addition to being able to withstand water stress and adapt to poor, arid soils, they also show resistance to maize streak virus (MSV). They are more tolerant of certain pests, such as armyworm caterpillars, a major enemy of maize crops in Madagascar. In terms of yields, these varieties have a potential of 7 t/ha, provided all cropping protocols are respected, compared to 3 to 4 t for traditional varieties.

For beans, the project has worked on three local varieties, two of which are now in the national catalogue. These varieties are distinguished by their nutrient - notably iron and protein - content, which is essential for boosting food security in the South of the island, the region for which they are primarily intended. The variety known as "Ran’omby 5" has a shorter cycle, and can be harvested after 90 days. The  "Ikinimba Fofifa" variety, for its part, is high-yielding: it can produce up to 4 t/ha, compared to 400 to 500 kg/ha for traditional varieties. They are both tolerant of Anthracnose, angular leaf spot and leaf rust, and of poor, ferralitic-type soils.

FOFIFA has produced four cassava varieties and FIFAMANOR three potato varieties. All are more disease-resistant and higher-yielding. They have been distributed to farmers and submitted for approval.

"There are several ways of measuring seed quality. Within the FOOD-SEC project, we have attached particular importance to genetic purity, disease resistance, capacity to adapt to climate change, and germination rates", says Santatra Ravelomanantsoa, FOOD-SEC Semence project coordinator for FOFIFA.

Capacity building

In addition to working directly on seeds, the FOOD-SEC Semence project has also worked to build capacity among Madagascan scientific partners and local producers, by working with six farmers' organizations.

Thanks to the project, the laboratory facilities at the National Centre for Applied Research and Rural Development's agricultural research department (CENRADERU/FOFIFA) have been improved and supplied with new equipment. Previously dilapidated experimental greenhouses have also been refurbished to be used for research into seed varietal aspects.

In terms of capacity building, more than 400 farmers from the Vakinankaratra, Itasy and Analamanga regions have benefitted from training in sustainable quality seed production. These knowledge transfer operations, conducted in collaboration with the FIFATA association for family farming's CEFFEL training centres, have centred on promoting agroecological practices. The aim is to help farmers identify solutions for more environmentally friendly production, resilient to climate change. For instance, the training has covered the use of fertilizers and pest control methods, particularly for use against armyworms.

"The skill-building operations conducted in Madagascar, and also on neighbouring islands like Mauritius and Réunion, are very important for us as members of farmers' organizations. We are the ones working on the ground, and building our skills has given us the necessary tools to continue and sustain the initiatives launched as part of the project. We really hope that there will be a follow-up to the project, to allow us to continue the efforts undertaken", says Andry Rasamimanana, CEFFEL-FIFATA centre manager.

Exchanges between Indian Ocean islands

Outside Madagascar, the FOOD-SEC Semence project has also worked for seed production chains in Mauritius, the Comoros and the Seychelles. While these four countries are all islands and geographically near to each other, their agricultural situations are relatively different. The project has had to adapt to the specificities of each country, while encouraging the dissemination of innovations, practices and tools.

"In the Comoros, like in Madagascar, the low incomes of rural households prevent them from buying quality seeds", says Jérémy Salinier, FOOD-SEC Semence project coordinator for 热博体育 in Réunion. "Farmers in the Seychelles and Mauritius have access to seeds, but are highly dependent on seed imports. Both countries are therefore more likely to be impacted in the event of delivery issues, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the varieties often imported from Southeast Asia or Europe are not suited to the local climate and other conditions." However, the fact that farmers in both the Comoros and Madagascar commonly produce their own seeds raises other issues, notably relating to sanitary aspects. for instance, species that are propagated from cuttings or tubers are likely to be contaminated by viruses.

Specific diagnoses have served to produce roadmaps for the different territories. For Mauritius, for instance, the FOOD-SEC Semence project has focused on developing and improving bean and potato seeds, in agreement with FAREI, the country's Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute.

However, these national protocols have not prevented the regional collaboration driven by the project. Stéphanie Druguet stresses that "each country has worked on varieties corresponding to its needs, but the project has also included regional plant material exchanges. For instance, FAREI in Mauritius has sent potato varieties to INRAPE in the Comoros, for testing and adaptation to local conditions".

FOOD-SEC Semence has also set up a network of regional partners working on seeds, which its members hope will continue beyond the project. In addition to genetic material, there have also been technology transfers with Réunion, notably with the acquisition of LAMP machines, a rapid DNA analysis molecular biology tool used for plant diagnoses. The method is commonly used in Réunion, and has proved useful for reducing sanitary risks when producing or transferring seeds.

In five years, the project has thus enabled substantial progress. "The project has produced good results", Stéphanie Druguet confirms. "The European Union is encouraging continued action to improve local producers' access to quality seeds." The project partners are already working on further operations, such as the distribution of the new seeds to farmers.