State of the Agriculture in Somalia

and Possible Future Intervention

Strategies

Presented To: Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty

in Africa

Washington DC, April 29, 2010

Overview

About SATG
 Goals
 Mission
 Membership
 Activities
Overview

• About SATG • Current State

 Goals  South Central
 Mission  Somaliland
 Membership  Puntland
Overview

• About SATG • Current State

• Future Strateg
 Goals  South Central  Public private
 Mission  Somaliland Partnership
 Membership  Puntland
About 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
SATG Mission

• To strive for peace

and prosperity
through
sustainable
agricultural
development
About SATG
Membership
Multidisciplinary team consisting of
highly qualified and experienced
professionals
 Crop improvement and biotechnology
 Crop production, protection and soil
management
 Farming systems and technology transfer
 Water resource management
 Animal and food science
 Livestock, environment and agro-forestry
 Agriculture engineering, economics and policies
Activities

I. Documentation of
historic information
on plant genetic
resources in Somalia
II. Introduction and
evaluation of
improved varieties
Activities
III. Phosphorous (P)
intervention. P was
identified as the
single most
important factor
limiting crop
production in
dryland agriculture
of the Bay Region
Activities
IV. Seed Multiplication
Activities
V. Post harvest Losses

Traditional grain storage system Introduction of new technology

Activities
VI. Training of Trainers
 Seed intervention
 Trials and demo plots
 IPM
 Crop management practices
 Post harvest and storage losses
Activities
VII. Monitoring and Evaluation
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
1. Past
 Public Institutions
 Academic Institutions
 Research
 Extension
Seed multiplication

 Regulations and policies
 Private Institutions
 Agro dealers
 Public private partnership
 Banana project
 Agriculture
Development
programs-Public
 Agriculture development
Corporation (ADC)
 Rice project
 BRADP-sorghum
 Sugar Cane Project
 Cotton
 Fruits and vegetables
 North West Agriculture
Development Project
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
2. Present-since 1990
• Dominated by INGO’s
– FAO
– CINS
– CEFA
– AGROSPHERE
– CONCERN
– SAVE THE CHILDREN
– GTZ
– CARE
– Horn Relief Nairobi, Kenya
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
Limitations
• Remotely present
• Short-term and lack of support for long-term
programs
• Staff turn over and loss of institutional
memory
• lack of sustainability agriculture interventions
• Lack of experienced professionals and
effective coordination mechanism
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
Activities
• Seeds, inputs and tools distribution
• Rehabilitation of canals and construction of shallow
wells
• Post harvest and storage losses
• Training-Farmer Field School
• Livestock-vaccination and trade
• Develop market strategies
• Formation of Farmers’ associations
• Cash for work
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
Production Constraints
• Drought
• Diseases and insects
• Lack of quality seed and inputs
• Poor management practices
• Poor infrastructure
• Lack of agriculture services
• Lack of marketing system
• Lack of storage and processing facilities
State of Agriculture in
Somalia
Insects and Diseases
Agriculture System in
Somalia
3. Future
• Status quo until peace, security and
a working government are restored.
• A move towards sustainable
agriculture development irrespective
to the current conditions on the
ground. How?
Agriculture System in
Somalia
Future
Who are the stakeholders?
 Farmers, commercial buyers, consumers, input
suppliers, seed producers, International NGOs, TFG
What type of technical support is available?
• CG Centre
• SATG
• Regional research Centres
• Academic institutions-regional and international
What kind of resources are available on the
ground?
• Local NGO’s (South central, Puntland and Somaliland)
• Somali Universities (South central, Puntland and Somaliland)
Agriculture System in
Somalia
Future-a practical example
• Seed intervention
– Technical support group (SATG, CG centres and
academic institutions)
– Evaluation team (existing universities in South
Central, Somaliland and Puntland)
– Technology transfer (NGO’s)
– Seed multiplication (formation of seed growers)
– Seed certification (SATG in collaboration with CG
centres)
Agriculture System in
Somalia
Success Stories
• Agriculture
– Sesame
– Lemon Being exported to middle Eastern Countries

• Telecommunication
• Airline industry
• Banking system
• Community supported academic institutions
Thanks

“The future belongs to those who plan

today”