b'INTERNATIONAL NEWSGLOBAL SEED WATCHAFRICAN RICE CENTER (AFRICARICE) HAS LAUNCHED A HIGH-POTENTIAL PROJECT, INDIAN FARMERS ARE OPTING FOR COTTON, AND THE NEPAL SEED AND FERTILIZER PROJECT IS EXPANDING ITS SUPPORT.STATUS IVORY COAST from the other organic variants at the sowing stage and, hence, an acreage data under the banned seed may not be availa-The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), in close collaboration withble. However, according to a rough estimate, in some parts of national partners, has launched a high-potential project in whichMaharashtra, HTBt cotton comprises nearly three-fourths of the research will be put into effective use to improve the livelihoodstotal area under cotton.of smallholder farmers in Africa by promoting a range of sustain-"At least 75% of the cotton area in Chandrapur and able intensification and diversification innovations for rice-basedGadchiroli and a large part in Yavatmal is sown with HTBt systems, while reducing their environmental footprint. cotton," said Yavatmal-based cotton farmer Niwal Vijay, who also The project titled Sustainable and Diversified Rice-basedowns a ginning unit.Farming Systems is conducted under the Putting Research According to the state government data, cotton has been into Use for Nutrition, Sustainable Agriculture and Resiliencesowed across 4.06 mln ha by the end of last week, making up for (PRUNSAR) program co-funded by the European Union (EU)nearly 97% of the total area in the year-ago period. Cotton was and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).sowed across 181,166 ha in Chandrapur district, up 38% on year, Rice is the most rapidly growing food commodity in sub-Sa- and 10,614 ha in Gadchiroli, more than double the year-ago level. haran Africa and boosting domestic supply is clearly importantIn Yavatmal, cotton was sown on 452,050 ha, up 5% on year.for the region. At the same time, rice needs to be produced in(Source: COGENICS)more sustainable and environment-friendly ways amid chal-lenges posed by climate change.About 27 participants attended the project launch at theSTATUS NEPALAfricaRice research station at Mb, Ivory Coast. These included representatives from the African Plant Nutrition InstituteThe Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project is expanding (APNI), the National Center for Agricultural Research (CNRA),its support to include finance, working with commercial banks the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeitto develop and expand access to innovative financial products (GIZ) GmbH, the International Fertilizer Development Centerfor seed companies, it was reported in a story released by the (IFDC), ISRA, the Local Rice Promotion Project (PRORIL),International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).NCRI, the World Agroforestry (ICRAF), and AfricaRice. Commercial banks are improving their knowledge of the seed Project partners actively participated in in-depth discussionssector, its needs and growth opportunities, so they can develop following the presentations and developed country plans, includingloan products and credit modalities that match the requirements scaling mechanisms. They agreed to emphasize sharing of knowl- of seed producers and agribusinesses, CIMMYT reports.edge, capacity development, policy findings and raising of aware- These enterprises require finances to upgrade their infra-ness and visibility of the project in line with project guidelines. structure, increase production and grow their businesses. The (Source: CGIAR) business plans of seed companies which partner with the NSAF project indicate that the average size of loan required is around $50,00060% for infrastructure development and 40% for STATUS INDIA working capital. About 66% of the working capital is used to procure raw seed from contract seed growers.Even as scanty rainfall has affected the overall kharif sowing inA recent meeting brought together representatives from the Maharashtra, cotton seems to be an outlier. The acreage underMinistry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, national cotton is almost at the year-ago level and far higher than otherfinancial institutions, private sector banks, seed companies, agri-kharif crops, partly driven by higher sowing of illegal herbi- cultural cooperatives and development organizations, who took cide-tolerant Bacillus thuringiensis cotton seeds, also calledpart in the deliberations and also contributed to refining policy HTBt cotton seeds, mostly in the Vidarbha region, traders said. recommendations to enhance seed sector financing.Farmers are opting for cotton as it requires lesser waterParticipants in the meeting discussed ways to create a compared with other kharif crops. An errant monsoonnot justconducive environment to access financial services for agricul-weak but also delayedprompted farmers to shift to cotton. tural producers and agribusinesses. Seed companies suggestedThe new HTBt cotton variant is being preferred by farmerto improve banks and financial institutions understanding of because yields are expected to rise significantly. Also, the costagricultural markets and build their capacity to assess business of production is low because it requires less use of pesticides andopportunities. They also requested that banks simplify the doc-saves labour cost on weed control. umentation process for acquiring loans for farmers. (Source:There is no scientific means to differentiate HTBt cottonCIMMYT)66IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'