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IN THIS ISSUE

September 2016 | Issue No.03

WHEAT 4 Africa Updates is a Newsletter of the SARD-SC Wheat program, an initiative funded by African Development Bank, AfDB. The project is implemented by ICARDA in 12 countries across Africa in partnership with the NARS.

WHEAT 4 Africa UpdatesUnlocking the potential of wheat in sub-Sahara Africa

NIGER: Government Commits to Support Wheat Farming, to Provide Solar Powered Water pumps to Lower Production Costs.

Two Wheat Scientists Graduate through SARD-SC Scholarships

RWANDA: AfDB President and Rwanda Prime Minister Visit SARD-SC at FARA Conference

ETHIOPIA: Improved Wheat Seed for Women in Wheat Farming

NIGERIA: Women in Wheat Value Addition - Binta Abubakar

ZIMBABWE (PROFILE): Meet the Wheat Farmers of Africa

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Government commits to support wheat farming, to provide solar powered water pumps to lower production costsNiger: As a show of commitment to wheat farming in Niger and in recognition of the work of the AfDB funded SARD-SC wheat project of ICARDA, the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock for Niger Hon. Albade Abouba and his deputy Hon. Mohamed Boucha attended the opening and the closing of the 2015-2016 East and West Africa Annual Review and Planning Meeting that was held in Niger in August 2016.

Speaking at the opening of the event, the country’s deputy Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Hon. Mohamed Boucha confirmed that the goals and objectives of SARD-SC project of increasing wheat production to meet the growing local demand, providing income and better nutrition, are in tandem with the National Strategy for Food Security and Rural Development for Niger as well as the new ambitious government initiative named 3N ‘Nigerien Nourish Nigerien.’

The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Hon. Albade Abouba on his part said that his government will provide fertilizer and solar water pumps to support wheat farmers in the north, the Agadaz region that borders the Sahara Desert, where cost of diesel and water pumps has increased wheat production costs. Confirming that wheat is a strategic food security crop for Niger, the Minister expressed his support to research and extension in the wheat growing areas of the North (Agadez region) and South (Konni and Tillabery). He also said his government will purchase all wheat from the Konni region for the country's food aid package.

The Minister presented an award to ICARDA for its support to wheat production in the country. The Wheat Commodity Specialist and Coordinator Dr. Solomon Assefa received the award on behalf of ICARDA. The Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Interior Hon. Alfari Saley, a member of parliament Hon. Rabi Souleymane and Dr. Aboubakar Ichaou D.G for INRAN. INRAN is the local implementing partner for SARD-SC Wheat project in Niger.

During this forum that was attended by top government officials and research and extension scientists from seven African countries, the project reviewed its achievements and key results from different countries. This included research trials conducted during the year, registration and release of varieties, quality assessment of wheat, seed multiplication efforts, scaling up and promotion of proven wheat technologies across the IP sites, farmer field days, results from socio economic impacts and gender surveys and a study on the cost of production and gross margin of wheat compared to tomato, rice and onions in Nigeria. An important side attraction was the awarding of two best wheat producers in Niger, Mr. Ousmane Amadou and Adamou Abdou in recognition for their great field management.

Dr. Solomon Assefa shared plans for the upcoming Technology for African Agricultural Transformation, TAAT which is part of the AfDB Feed Africa vision 2025. The new TAAT project commences in 2017 and targets 20 countries. The project aims to scale up proven wheat technologies and innovations, gender transformation for realizing a transformative impact on food production, market access, and increased income and greater value from wheat.

2011 2014

Production 3,114 tons 6,110 tons

Area in ha 1,651 ha 2,130 ha

Yield Advantage

1.75 t/ha old varieties

4-6 t/ha yield of new varieties

Total irrigation potential 500,000 ha

Highlights of the Project in Niger

The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock for Niger Hon. Albade Abouba presents an award to ICARDA, in appreciation for the SARD-SC Wheat project support to the wheat sector in the country

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Two wheat scientists graduate through full scholarship from the SARD-SC Wheat projectIn August and September 2016, two students Mala Kachalla from Nigeria and Bruce Mutari from Zimbabwe graduated with masters after successful studies funded by the SARD-SC wheat project.

The AfDB funded SARD-SC wheat project of ICARDA runs a scholarship program to build the capacity of African researchers in various segments of the wheat sector. The project has offered full scholarship to nine (9) wheat scientists from six (6) African countries to pursue their Ph.D or Masters Studies on wheat in the fields of breeding, seed production, agronomy, disease and pest management among others. The scientists are undertaking their studies in various top level universities across Africa, backed by practical field experience and learning exchanges to other countries in the continent.

Mala Kachalla studied at the University of Maiduguri in the northern Nigeria and specialized in the subjects of ‘Screening of drought tolerant wheat lines in West African lowland environment and molecular marker analysis, using markers linked to IRS translocation, dwarfing denes and leaf rust resistance.’ Through the support of the project, Mala Kachalla attended a DNA molecular training in Morrocco, Rabat. “The major challenge that bedevils wheat production in West Africa is abiotic stress particularly heat and drought,” explains Mala. “With the knowledge I have acquired in conventional and molecular breeding, I hope to support the wheat sector in my country to develop varieties that are tolerant to drought and heat stresses,” he adds. Bruce Mutari on the other hand, specialized in ‘Diversity studies and marker assisted improvement for rust resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes’ from the University of Fort Hare (UFH), Alice, South Africa. Bruce is about to publish three papers, and one of them is on ‘Detection of rust resistance in selected Zimbabwean and ICARDA bred-wheat germplasm using conventional and molecular techniques.'

“Before my research, there was limited genotypic information on slow rusting leaf rust (Lr) and stem rust (Sr) resistance genes deployed in Zimbabwe,” says Bruce.

“The knowledge generated through my study will assist plant breeders in selecting parents for use in future hybridization programs and design of multi resistant cross combination cultivars with improved rust resistance,” adds Bruce. This is important because in Zimbabwe, most of the old and present commercial wheat cultivars and promising breeding lines are susceptible to the current races of leaf and stem rust.

Demand for wheat in Africa is rising as a result of increasing population, urbanization, and changing tastes, while productivity remains low due to abiotic (mainly heat and drought) and biotic stresses (disease, insects, pests and weeds). Through these scholarships, the project builds human capacity of the next generation of wheat scientists and researchers who will help the continent address challenges to wheat production and support countries to raise productivity, curb imports and improve food security and livelihoods. The scholarships are comprehensive and include stipend, publication, research costs, tuition, travel and insurance.

AfDB PRESIDENT AND RWANDA PRIME MINISTER VISIT SARD-SC AT FARA CONFERENCE Rwanda: The SARD-SC joint stand at the 7th African Agricultural Science Week, AASW and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, FARA Conference had the privilege of hosting the AfDB President Dr. Adesina Akinwumi who was accompanied by the Prime Minister of Rwanda Hon. Anastase Murekezi, and the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana. The joint stand was one of the very few stands visited by the AfDB president at the sidelines of the FARA Conference and General Assembly held mid June 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda. This visit underscored the importance of agriculture and wheat to the development of African economies, wealth and employment creation.

The SARD-SC project and ICARDA were represented at the forum by the North Africa Regional Coordinator Dr. Mohammed El Mourid, the Wheat Commodity Specialist and Coordinator Dr. Solomon Assefa, and ICARDA scientists from Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunis. ICARDA organized a side event that was attended by 50 people, the capacity of the room, with participants from diverse backgrounds. During the conference, SARD-SC Wheat organized a joint event with IITA and AfricaRice and made presentations in the CIMMYT side event. The FARA General Assembly is the principal forum for all stakeholders in agriculture, science, technology and innovation in Africa.

The AfDB President Dr. Adesina Akinwumi and the Rwanda Prime Minister Hon. Anastase Murekezi at joint SARD-SC stand at FARA conference

Graduation day for Bruce Mutari, University of Fort Hare, South Africa (16th September 2016)

Bruce Mutari Mala Kachalla

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Women in wheat value addition: Increased income and job creation - the story of Binta Abubakar

2012 2015Production 50,000 tons 250,000 tonsArea 50,000 ha 100,000 haYield Advantage

1.75 t/ha yield of old varieties

4-6 t/ha yield of new varieties from ICARDA

Highlights of the Project in Nigeria

Nigeria: “Previously I used to make averagely N350 (USD 1.0) per day from my sale of alkaki (sweet wheat buns) but now I make N2,000 (USD 6.0)” says Binta Abubakar. Binta, 45, from Kano State of Nigeria is a mother of eight and a widow.

“I am now able to meet all my basic needs, am taking my children to school, and I have even funded the wedding of one of my children from profits of my business,” she adds. Binta is a member of the Kadawa Innovation Platform of the SARD-SC wheat project. “I think the low sales was because initially potential customers felt that my alkaki were of low quality,” she explains.

Binta previously made her alkaki the traditional way. She for example would measure and mix flour using normal cups and after baking would carry them in a plastic containers to the market. She also did not diversify the line of products she produced. However her fortunes changed after she underwent training by the AfDB funded SARD-SC wheat project of ICARDA. She received support to mechanize her production process and to repackage her products. She is part of the women groups that were given three kneaders, 20 flour mixers, three baking ovens, sixty pasta making machines, a mini milling machine and a shop for them to sell their produce. Since she joined the innovation platform, she has attended three separate training on wheat processing and making of both local and exotic wheat recipes. This has resulted to better income. Binta learnt about the project from her brother-in-law who is a wheat farmer in Kadawa, a major wheat growing area in Nigeria. Apart from growing wheat, Binta ventured into processing wheat products so that she could earn some extra income. Alkaki is her main product and she bakes them thrice a week.

Because of her success, she has expanded her commercial production of alkaki within and outside of Kano state. She now gets contracts to provide her services during weddings, naming ceremonies, and other festivities. She is also being engaged to train other girls, individuals and women groups in other states like Jos, Sokoto and Gombe States. When asked about the future, Binta says she wants to

start selling her products to supermarkets, toll gate and malls. In 2015 Binta and 200 other women wheat farmers in Nigeria were trained on how to better add value to their wheat to increase their income and create jobs. The lady farmers were trained to make both exotic and local recipes specifically bread, cakes, doughnut, buns, meat pie, egg roll, chin chin, taliya (local spaghetti), gereba, alkaki (wheat sweet) and funkaso. In order to increase women’s income and create job opportunities from wheat, the SARD-SC Wheat project mobilizes rural women in wheat growing areas, trains them on modern processing, packaging and marketing to upgrade their wheat production and sales processes. This initiative is also taking place in Sudan, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.

In Nigeria, the project is working with the Lake Chad Research Institute, LCRI and the Institute of Agricultural Research at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria State.

IMPROVED WHEAT SEED FOR WOMEN Ethiopia: “Last year I planted the local wheat varieties but lost my crop due to disease, but when I saw that the new wheat variety did very well for other farmers, I applied for it and was given 27kilograms of seed on credit,” says Hawa Seid, 39 and a mother of five. At the time of this interview, Hawa was expecting a bountiful wheat harvest. Hawa is a wheat farmer from Emenay in the northern region of Ethiopia and a member of the Emenay Innovation Platform of SARD-SC. She has a one ha farm where she grows wheat and other crops and also practices sharecropping (renting land from people and in return shares the produce with them as payment). She grows a wheat variety called Ude, an improved variety introduced to Ethiopia through the AfDB funded SARD-SC Wheat project of ICARDA and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, EIAR. “Ude is a very good variety for making injera, a popular local dish and difo, kuch kuch, kolo, kinche, genfo and dabo koloe,” Hawa explains. Apart from wheat, she has two cows and a heifer, both of which will benefit from fodder from wheat straws. Hawa plans to use money from wheat to support her daughter Meka, who is 16 years old and in 8th grade and also her school going son. She has opened a small window shop to supplement her income and hopes to start baking bread for sale very soon. Through the SARD-SC Wheat initiative, 1,016 women have benefitted from improved wheat seed in Ethiopia for the 2016 season.

Hawa Seid (r) in her wheat farm in Emenay, Ethiopia

Equipments purchased for women groups in Nigeria in 2015-2016Item purchased Quantity

Flour Kneaders 3

Flour mixers 20

Baking ovens 3

Pasta making

machines

60

Mini milling

machine

60

Rented shop for women to sell their

products

Binta Abubakar Various wheat products from women groups in Nigeria, now packaged in attractive and properly sanitized packs

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CONTACT US

Rue Mahmoud Ghaznaoui, El Menzah IV- 1082 Tunis Tunisia. Tel: + 216 7175 3680 Email: s.assefa@cgiar.org | Fax: +216 71753170For media inquiries, newsletter subscription & communication materials:Email o.polycarp@cgiar.org

EDITORIAL TEAM

Dr. Solomon Assefa - Wheat Commodity Specialist and CoordinatorDr. Mohamed El Mourid - North Africa Regional Coordinator Polycarp Otieno Onyango - Communication Consultant Ouambi Yameogo - M & E Specialist Dr. Habib Ketata - ConsultantDr. Ali Chebi - Socio-Economics Specialist

ABOUT THE PROJECT SARD-SC Wheat is wheat component of Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC) an African Development Bank, AfDB funded CGIAR-led project that targets enhanced food and nutrition security and reduced poverty across sub-Saharan Africa through strengthening of value chains of major commodity crops. SARD-SC Wheat is leading efforts to boost the production of wheat in 12 countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Lesotho.

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Copyright: This publication is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . You may freely distribute in part or whole, and you may freely quote as long as you credit SARD-SC Wheat and ICARDA as the source.

How wheat farming has changed my life - The story of Moses Gwatidzo

ABOUT ICARDAThe International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is the global agricultural research organization working with countries in the world’s dry and marginal areas to increase productivity, improve rural nutrition, and strengthen national food security through sustainable systems solutions. A member of CGIAR Consortium, ICARDA works closely with national agricultural research programs and other partnersin more than 50 countries across North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central, South, and West Asia. www.icarda.org

Zimbabwe: “With proceeds mainly from wheat, I have renovated and expanded my house which was three bedrooms to five bedrooms," says Moses Gwatidzo a wheat farmer from Hwedza district 127 kilometres south of Harare, Zimbabwe. "I have also taken my two children to school and bought three cows from wheat,” he adds. Moses is a member of the Hwedza Innovation Platform of the AfDB funded SARD-SC Wheat project of ICARDA. He grows wheat on a 2.5 ha farm in the province of Mashonaland. He has been a wheat farmer for five years.

Moses often introduces himself as ‘the best male smallholder wheat farmer in Zimbabwe.’ That is even before he says his name. He explains that while most farmers currently produce 4-5t/ha him he gets eight tons, and that is why he was named the best male wheat farmer and was awarded farm inputs by the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development Hon. Ringson Chitsiko, mid April 2016. Moses was able to attain the eight tons because of information and support from the innovation platform that was started by SARD-SC Wheat project in collaboration with the Department of Research and Specialist Services DR&SS in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development. Further he grows new wheat varieties introduced to the country from ICARDA.

How Moses attains (8) tons per ha According to Moses, apart from high quality seed, he got important knowledge on water management, wheat crop rotation with legumes and good land preparation. He says he uses a tractor to plough then oxen to ridge the land to make it even. Further, he spreads his seeds evenly in rows so that each side receives a similar amount of seed and uses nutrients evenly. He also practices water management in the field. During winter he waters his farm just once a week so that nutrients remain close to the roots of the wheat crop.

Moses keeps part of his wheat harvest as food since his family enjoys eating wheat products. “I am still looking forward to improve the agronomic standards of my farm so that I can earn even more and help my family,” he adds. One of the challenges he faces, especially close to harvest times, is that of birds that eat his wheat. He however explains that during that time, he hires someone to chase away the birds.

Profile

2012 2015Production 33,655 tons 62,261 tonsWheat area 9,727 ha 14,789 ha1 variety released 2 candidates with 5 t/ha on farm and 8 t/ha on station

Highlights of the Project in Zimbabwe

Mama Muita, a Wheat farmer from Buuri, Meru county, 225 kilometres to the north of Nairobi Kenya participating in on farm wheat seed multiplication of new varieties from SARD-SC Wheat and KALRO

Moses Gwatidzo, wheat farmer from Zimbabwe