Presented To: Flagship Workshop, CGIAR Research for Improving the Impact of Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation on Agricultural Livelehoods in Highly Stressed and Unstable Systems

May 22nd – 23rd , 2008

Towards Sustainable Agriculture Research in Somalia

Introduction to SATG Background – Agriculture in Somalia Research systems and limitations

– Past– Present– Future – Ideas for discussion

Overview

Somali Agricultural Technical Group (SATG)

A registered non-profit association of Somali professionals and friends of the country

Dedicated to assisting in the reconstruction of Somalia and its agricultural heritage

To strive for peace and prosperity through sustainable agricultural development

SATG Mission

Multidisciplinary team consisting of highly qualified and experienced professionals from different sectors of agriculture– Crop improvement and biotechnology– Crop production and soil management– Crop protection– Farming systems and technology transfer– Water resource management– Animal and food science– Livestock

SATG Members

Established SATG electronic forum

Filsan mungbean identification and repatriation

Phosphorous as one of the limiting factors in the Bay region soils

Documented historic information on PGR and seed sector

Recommendations on livestock sector, deforestation and charcoal export

Providing technical support to local and international NGO’s

Visit www.satg.org for details

SATG Achievements

Agriculture contributed 65% of GDP-1990 Livestock – 51% Crops - 38% Forestry – 9.5% Fisheries - < 1%

Background

Cereal crops– Sorghum, maize and rice

Legume crops– Cowpeas and mungbeans

Oil crops– Sesame and sunflower

Commercial crops– Banana, Citrus, Vegetables, Sugar cane, Cotton, Frankincense, and

Myrrh

Background

Background

Cropping Systems– Irrigated (South)– Rainfall (South, Central, North

West)

Most crop production takes place in the south which have suffered the most from civil unrest

Milestones

YEAR MILESTONE

1967-1972 Agriculture research Somali universities

1979 Release of Somtux maize variety

1980 Wyoming team in the Bay regionIDRC sorghum project

1987 Sorghum germplasm collectionRelease of Filsan mungbean varietyPhosphorous deficiency

1990 Civil war

1990-2008 NGO’s

Research System - Past

MINSTRY OF AGRICULTURE

RESEARCH DEPT.

CARS JILIB ABUREEN

BDARS

AG. EXTENTION

Research System - Present

• Food Security and Rural Development-Agriculture working Group– CINS– CEFA– AGROSPHERE– CONCERN– SAVE THE CHILDREN– GTZ– CARE

Somali Support Secretariat

Research System - Present

SAGRASomali UniversitiesLocal NGO’s

Somali Support Secretariat

Research System - PresentFilsan Seed Distribution

Limitations

• Remotely present

• Short-term and lack of support

for long-term programs

• Staff turn over and loss of

institutional memory

• Quality of research

• Research experience

• Present

• Infrastructure

• Experience eroding

• Lack of training and human

resource development

• Lack of funding to conduct

research

• No agenda for research

International NGO Local NGO

Research System - Future

Status quo until peace, security and a working government are restored

A move towards research and extension establishment irrespective to the current conditions on the ground. How?

Research System - Future

Who are the stakeholders?

Farmers, commercial buyers, consumers, input suppliers, seed producers, International NGOs, TFGWhat type of technical support is available?

CG CentreSATG FAONGO’s

What kind of resources are available on the ground?SAGRA, Local NGO’sSomali Universities

Research System - Future

What type of research framework to follow?

How to strengthen the system linkage?

What type of research is required?

Research System - Future

SECTORS MEMBERSHIP

Research Board Stakeholders

Technical Support Committee

CG Centre, FAO, SATG,NGO’s

Implementation SAGRA, Somali Universities, NGO’s

Acknowledgements

IDRC

CG team for collective action

Thank You