1. TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH IN SOMALIA
Presented at the Workshop on Flagship 4:CGIAR Research for Improving the Impact of
Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation on
Agricultural Livelihoods in Highly Stressed and Unstable Systems
May 22-23, 08
Nairobi, Kenya
HUSSEIN HAJI

2. OVERVIEW Introduction to SATG Background – Agriculture in Somalia
Research systems and limitations
Past
Present
Future – Ideas for discussion

3. SOMALI AGRICULTURE 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

4. SATG MISSION
To strive for peace and prosperity through sustainable agricultural development

5. SATG MEMBERS
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

6. SATG ACHIEVEMENTS 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 for details

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

8. BACKGROUND Cereal crops Legume crops Oil crops Commercial 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

9. BACKGROUND Cropping Systems Irrigated (South)
                                                                                                                           
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

10. MILESTONE YEAR MILESTONE 1967-1972 Agriculture research
Somali universities
1979
Release of Somtux maize variety
1980
Wyoming team in the Bay region
IDRC sorghum project
1987
Sorghum germplasm collection
Release of Filsan mungbean variety
Phosphorous deficiency
1990
Civil war
NGO’s

11. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PAST MINSTRY OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH DEPT. CARS JILIB
ABUREEN
BDARS
AG. EXTENTION

12. LIMITATIONS
Linkages among research, extension, and the agric. university
Stakeholder participation
Priority setting
Monitoring and evaluation
Research quality
Lack of motivation
Disproportionate funding

13. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT
Somali Support Secretariat
Food Security and Rural Development-Agriculture working Group
CINS
CEFA
AGROSPHERE
CONCERN
SAVE THE CHILDREN
GTZ
CARE

14. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT
SAGRA
Somali Universities
Local NGO’s

15. RESEARCH SYSTEM-PRESENT
Filsan Seed
Distribution

16. LIMITATIONS International NGO Local NGO 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

17. 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?

18. RESEARCH SYSTEM-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
FAO
NGO’s
What kind of resources are available on the
ground?
SAGRA, Local NGO’s
Somali Universities

19. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE
What type of research framework to follow?
How to strengthen the system linkage?
What type of research is required?

20. RESEARCH SYSTEM-FUTURE
Sectors
MEMBERSHIP
Research Board
Stakeholders
Technical Support Committee
CG Centre, FAO, SATG,NGO’s
Implementation
SAGRA, Somali Universities, NGO’s

21. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
IDRC
CG team for collective action

22. THANK YOU