Seed Unit Annual Report 1990

Abstract

A special project "Development of National Seed Production Organizations in West Asia and North Africa" is funded by the Governments of the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany to strengthen seed programs in West Asia and North Africa. The first phase (July 1985 to July 1988) has been successfully concluded and the second phase (July 1988 to July 1991) is being implemented. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the national seed production organizations in West Asia and North Africa.

Because renewal of funding for the Seed Unit is due in 1991, Seed Unit staff has been assessing the future direction of the project. It was felt that the Unit should continue the regular activities including training, infrastructure development, dissemination of information, and production of limited quantities of quality seed for distribution to the countries of the region. Additional efforts will be devoted to seed health and morphological varietal description, and more attention will be paid to food legume, pasture and forage crops. More region-related seed technology research will be carried out.

New approaches for 1991 and beyond are: (1) a shift towards alternative seed production systems, (2) a shift towards the private seed production sector, and (3) the economic analyses of seed programs and seed program components.