In Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), agri-food systems are under pressure from resource depletion, population growth, and food insecurity. CIMMYT’s work is vital, focusing on sustainable agricultural practices and innovative technology to enhance productivity and resilience. Research and development efforts are critical in addressing the environmental and socio-economic challenges of agriculture in this diverse and dynamic region.
CIMMYT stands out for its role in agricultural innovation, demonstrated through the dedicated research of visiting Chinese scholar Wang Hui. Her tenure at CIMMYT underscores the center’s pivotal role in driving agricultural advancements through international partnerships, significantly contributing to global food security and scientific development.
As geographical neighbors, Bangladesh and India share many characteristics in terms of land, weather, and food production. Because of these similarities, the Feed the Future Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia-Mechanization Extension Activity (CSISA-MEA) organized a series of exposure visits to India for Bangladeshi farmers and other agricultural stakeholders to establish market linkages, provide access to financial and technical advice.
The CSISA-MEA, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) works to increase the usage of agricultural machinery to benefit farmers by increasing their productivity and efficiency. The Activity works with several stakeholders, including agriculture-based light engineering (ABLE) enterprises, dealers, and machinery solution providers (MSPs).
Over the course of the activity, a significant lesson learned is that both groups, the hosting party and the visiting party, benefit from exposure visits.
CSISA-MEA organized two international exposure visits to India in July 2023. A total of 34 participants in two cohorts visited India, 18 workers from Faridpur and Cox’s Bazar, and 16 from Bogura and Jashore.
The CSISA-MEA delegation from Bangladesh in Punjab, India visits the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) during the exposure visit. (Photo: Rowshon Anis, OMD, CSISA-MEA, iDE Bangladesh)
CSISA-MEA arranged the visits with the objective to familiarize Bangladesh ABLE enterprises with modern agri-machinery manufacturing and improve their working practices. The visits covered factories, ABLE workshops and foundries in Punjab, including Amargarh, Bamala, and Ludhiana, areas where India’s agriculture mechanization is most notable, and incorporated public and private sector companies, and academia including LANDFORCE, M/S Dasmesh Mechanical Works, Panesar Agriculture Works Pvt. Ltd., Sokhi Manufacturing Ltd., the Borlaug Institute for South Asia, and National Agro Industry.
Learnings from the exposure visit
The exposure visits have emphasized the importance of systematic line production for machinery and spare parts manufacturing to ensure efficiency and consistency in output. Quality control has been highlighted as a non-negotiable aspect, and the significance of delivering reliable and high-quality products. Using natural light and ventilation systems showcased the potential for environmentally friendly production facilities.
The visits also highlighted how maintaining proper occupational health and safety measures ensures the well-being of the workforce along with a gender inclusive environment in the agri-machinery factories. The factories have a significant female workforce, an eye-opening sight for the ABLE owners of Bangladesh.
These exposure visits have helped equip ABLE owners with invaluable insights and strategies for success in their agricultural machinery businesses, including building connections among themselves, such as that between two ABLEs from Jashore, Bangladesh to facilitate the production and supply of the fodder chopper–demonstrating the potential for cooperation to expand market reach.
Reflections from the visits
The trip to meet their Indian counterparts provided CSISA–MEA ABLE owners with invaluable insights and knowledge, with their unanimous feedback reflecting the profound impact of the visits, which they deemed truly eye-opening. Encouragingly, since their return, each ABLE enterprise has prepared action plans, taking proactive steps to implement the new techniques and business strategies they gained during their visit.
“I can’t express how thrilled I am to have unlocked the secrets behind the exceptional quality of Indian machines and spare parts. It’s not just a technical upgrade, it’s a commitment to quality products,” said Md. Ashraf Hosen, owner of M/S Ashraf Machinery & Akmol Engineering Workshop.
During the exposure visit, the CSISA-MEA team from Bangladesh visits the Sokhi Components in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. (Photo: Sokhi Components)
Another visitor, Md. Iqbal Hosen, proprietor of Titas Moulding & Engineering Works, said, “I found discovering new innovations very exciting, especially the core-making process, the mechanical mold-making process to reduce production costs, appropriate charge calculation techniques and induction furnaces. I’m determined to apply these things in my foundry, to improve the quality of the products and reduce production costs.”
Sarkar Agro-Engineering & Multiple Works in Bangladesh has displayed a commitment to implementing the key takeaways of the exposure visit to India. The owners have ensured natural light and ventilation in their production facilities, creating a more conducive and eco-friendlier working environment for staff. They have also installed a customized lathe machine, painting every part of a machine before assembling it, and manufacturing mini tractors, all because of their exposure visit.
CSISA–MEA staff have also taken something from the trips, including feedback to include demonstrations of forging machines in future visits to further extend the workforce’s technical knowledge. There are plans to visit local spare parts markets during the next expedition to provide participants with a broader understanding of market dynamics, while visits to solar power and battery-operated machinery companies would provide an opportunity to witness sustainable technologies in action.
Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in East Africa, with about 65% share of the total wheat production in sub-Saharan Africa. The area under wheat increased from about 1.5 million hectares in 2010 to 2.5 million hectares in 2023. More importantly, the productivity increased from 1.8 tons per hectare to about 3 tons per hectare in the same period, implying an increase of about 5% per annum in productivity (See Figure 1).
Several factors have contributed to this spectacular increase in productivity, including better farm practices implemented through clustering farmers land to reduce production costs, and introducing new, improved varieties which enable farmers to withstand challenges of crop diseases.
Figure 1: Wheat grain yield trends in Ethiopia by decade, 1960 to 2022 (USDA data).
A DNA finger printing study found that about 87% of the wheat area in Ethiopia comprises of varieties developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). In 2023, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) released six new wheat varieties of CIMMYT origin aimed for the mid to highlands (> 1800 meters above sea level) and lowlands (< 1800 masl) of the country. “These newly released varieties provide options for farmers to face devastating rust diseases and at the same time obtain higher productivity,” said wheat breeder Leonardo Crespo.
Gadisa Alemu, wheat breeder based in EIAR, Kulumsa, added that the CIMMYT varieties were tested in farmers’ fields prior to release. “This allows participating farmers to have quicker access to seed of selected varieties,” he said.
Wheat breeders . The aim was to obtain additional insights into the activities of CIMMYT’s partners and co-design a strategy that allows early evaluation and access to CIMMYT germplasm by national partners in Ethiopia. The team visited research centers in Holetta (highlands), Debre Zeit and, Kulumsa (midlands), and Arsi Negele (lowlands). Kulumsa, together with the highlands of Meraro and Asasa plains, represent about 60-70% of the wheat area in Ethiopia. “These are important sites for wheat breeding activities in Ethiopia. Given that Holetta and Debre Zeit are hot spots for diseases, there is an increased interest in the Arsi Negele region to expand wheat production under irrigated conditions,” said Bekele Abeyo, wheat breeder and CIMMYT’s Ethiopia Country Representative.
AGG Maize and Wheat Improvement Teams Meet with Partners to Develop CG-NARES Breeding Strategy
In the first fortnight of September 2023, researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and National Agriculture Research and Extension System (NARES) met in Nairobi, Kenya to create high-level strategies and guiding principles for CG-NARES breeding activities. This is in alignment with the ‘Genetic Innovations’ initiative of the One CGIAR strategy. CIMMYT representation included breeding teams from the wheat, maize, and dryland crops. The meetings were organized by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CIMMYT’s Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat (AGG) project team.
It was recognized that the aforesaid strategies and principles need to be based on the biology of the crops and the context of each breeding program; incorporate the logistics of the breeding operations; and implement data driven tools for decision making such as genomic selection.
Participants shared how the application of novel and innovative technologies shortens the breeding cycles, accelerates the rate of genetic gain, and provides tools to enable the evaluation of plant materials (future variety candidates) and future target environments where these varieties will be grown.
It was concluded that effective breeding networks can be a strong instrument to enable faster delivery of improved germplasm to farmers. For this to happen efficiently, the networks require a high degree of coordination, organizational structure, governance, and clarity of roles. “It is fundamental for network members to agree the objectives, vision and expected outcomes of collaborative activities. This forms the basis for co-design and co-implementation of crop improvement plans” said Kevin Pixley, Interim Director of the Global Wheat Program and Director of the Dryland Crops Program.
The meeting also served as a platform for AGG’s and dryland crop’s breeding teams to exchange ideas and experiences. For instance, the Maize team shared their experience and learnings from on-farm-testing activities. The Wheat team shared the evolution and path of breeding modernization and implementation of new technologies. The Dryland Crops team shared their experience with co-designing and co-implementing breeding networks with NARES partners in Africa.
A recent meta-analysis by Leonard Rusinamhodzi a systems agronomist at CIMMYT and Sigrun Dahlin from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences provides an overview of how many agroecological practices are not widely adopted because of their high labor requirements.
Jared Crain, a research assistant professor of plant pathology, collaborates with CIMMYT on wheat genomics. Leading the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Applied Wheat Genomics at K-State, Crain and his team annually analyze DNA from 19,000 plants.
Wheat DEWAS, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, is expanding to strengthen wheat resilience in East Africa and South Asia. The collaborative effort is led by CIMMYT and Cornell University, which includes 23 organizations across continents.
CIMMYT, in partnership with CGIAR and Viamo, introduced an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service named “Suchanako Sansaar,” translating to ‘World of Information,’ in Sukhet, Nepal.
The LIPS-ZIM program led by CIMMYT and partners, addresses livestock disease challenges in Zimbabwe. This collaborative effort aims to enhance livestock productivity and control diseases affecting smallholder farmers.
New drought-resistant sorghum varieties bring hope for farmers in Africa
Scientists have identified drought-resistant, high-yielding sorghum genotypes that have the potential to revolutionize agriculture in dry regions of Africa. Sorghum, a staple food for millions in sub-Saharan Africa, has long been threatened by devastation from drought.
But now, researchers from the African Centre for Crop Improvement, the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the University of Life Sciences have discovered genetic resources that thrive under adverse conditions, yielding promising results and providing hope for a future that is more sustainable.
The study looked at 225 sorghum genotypes in various conditions, including non-stressed conditions and pre- and post-anthesis drought stress. The researchers used advanced statistical analysis, such as the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method, to identify the most resilient and high-yielding genotypes.
The results revealed a vast diversity in the genetic resources of sorghum and provided a pathway for selecting promising genotypes for regions prone to drought. In addition, the study highlighted the significant impact of environmental conditions on grain yield, with genotypes showing variable responses to different growing environments.
A farmer inspecting sorghum on his farm in Tanzania. (Photo: CBCC)
For example, genotypes G144 (Kaura Short Panicle-1) and G157 (Kaura Mai Baki Kona) displayed higher grain yield in drought-stressed environments and were among the top performers. Not only do these genotypes outperform registered cultivars, but they also possess traits valued by farmers, making them ideal candidates for future breeding programs. In addition to drought tolerance, genotypes G119 and G127 displayed remarkable stability and high yield under non-stressed conditions, showing their potential as all-around performers in a variety of environments.
Farmers in dry areas of sub-Saharan Africa that are characterized by pre- and post-anthesis drought stress stand to gain a great deal from these newly identified sorghum strains. Adoption of these high-yielding and drought-resistant genotypes could increase food production and strengthen farmers’ resilience against the effects of climate change.
The findings of these super sorghum genotypes offer farmers facing the challenges of climate change a glimmer of hope. By adopting these new drought-resistant strains, African farmers can improve their food security and strengthen their communities, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future.
Local farmer showcases her indigenous seed during the seed and livestock fair in Mbire. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Farmers, stakeholders, and partners, including seed companies, Hamara Chicks, PHI Commodities, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), BioHUB Trust (BHT), Kurima Machinery and Technology, and Zimplow Limited, participated in the Seed and Livestock Fair in the Mbire and Murewa districts of Zimbabwe, which showcased indigenous and improved seed varieties and different technologies to strengthen crop and livestock value chain systems.
Initiated by CIMMYT in 2022, as the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology, these series of fairs have become instrumental in bringing agrodealers closer to farmers and showcasing sustainable technologies and innovations that have the potential to strengthen production systems. It was also an opportunity for the agroecology initiative team to provide feedback to farmers and stakeholders on ongoing activities and technologies that were being tested since the initiative’s inception in Zimbabwe. By adopting a multi-partner approach, these fairs bring local food systems actors together to ensure food and nutrition security and improved income for farmers.
“The agroecology initiative has been collaborating with an array of organizations and institutes that can support our mission towards promoting agroecology and improving farming production, including other CGAIR entities like IWMI and ILRI, Hamara Group, Ecolyfe, and PHI Commodities,” said Dorcas Matangi, research associate at CIMMYT.
This year’s edition of the seed and livestock fair “Fostering Synergies: Diverse Crops, Livestock and Inclusive Communities” advocated for enhancing synergies within the farm to foster sustainable agroecology transitions for resilient food and nutrition outcomes. With over 800 farmers and stakeholders participating, the event provided a vibrant platform for knowledge sharing, exploration of indigenous and improved seed varieties, and sensitization of innovative technologies.
“The seed and livestock fairs hosted by the agroecology initiative bring together farmers and food system actors from all walks of life to foster learning around agroecology, which includes the importance of diversity (crop and livestock) while also appreciating local innovations in the respective area,” said Jesca Mapfinya, a Murewa farmer.
The right seed, assures a good harvest
Various seed companies participated in the fair to showcase different seeds which are well adapted in Murewa and Mbire districts. Each agroecological region in Zimbabwe is unique, with adaptable seed varieties that are either landrace or improved. Local landraces and many underutilized crop species are adapted to weather and climate variability, climate change, and extreme weather such as drought and heat stress. Farmers indicated that their motivations for growing landraces are related to sustainable farming systems suitable for social, cultural, nutritional, and agronomic traits. Their place in rural communities remains important, providing much-needed functional diversity and social capital. Including improved varieties within the basket of options can further intensify production systems in these communities.
“Primarily, we sell seed varieties and build farmer capacity around appropriate agronomic practices. The seed fairs are a good platform to match seeds and systems and allows a farmer to provide feedback about our seed varieties and how they are performing in the respective areas,” said Onesmous Satenga, SeedCo.
Farmers interact and purchase seed from a local company. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Building crop and livestock synergies
For the first time since the inception of the fairs, livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, chicken and rabbits were displayed. Partners, including ILRI and the Hamara Chicks, who are into sasso chicken and feed production, reiterated the importance of crop diversity for improved livestock nutrition. ILRI and the Grasslands Research Institute exhibited various local feedstocks and alternative livestock feed grasses and also presented several feed formulations. Farmers also provided feedback on the feeding strategies employed for different livestock.
“We feed cattle with poultry litter, maize grain, maize stover, and groundnut shells in various proportions depending on the availability of these feed sources. Forage legumes such as velvet bean (mucuna pruriens) and lablab (lablab purpureus) have been introduced, and we have started to grow these for feed,” said Samson Tashaya, Murewa farmer.
Local goat breeds showcased by farmers during the seed and livestock fair. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Of keen interest to farmers and stakeholders was the sasso breed of chickens that the Hamara Group was promoting.
“We have recently joined as partners with CIMMYT and are promoting hybrid chicken production, especially sasso, here in Murewa ward 27 and 4. This is our first time coming to this seed fair, and it was a learning opportunity. The interactions with farmers were really good,” said Alan Norton, team leader at Hamara Chicks.
Modernizing smallholder production systems
Mechanization experts from Kurima Machinery and Zimplow shared their recommendations at the fair. They acknowledged that farmers rely heavily on scarcely available labor and production activities that are backbreaking. They advocated for modern production systems to produce more food and support economic transformation. Experts from Kurima Machinery and Zimplow demonstrated several machines that could aid farmers in various on-farm activities.
“This fair has come at the right time as I begin land preparation for my pfumvudza (conservation agriculture plots). I have seen how the basin digger works, and I am keen to purchase an instrument to make my work much easier,” said Chief Chisunga, Mbire.
“This crop season’s outlook is still unclear, but weather experts have warned of an intense El Nino event likely to happen in the second half of the season. Technologies such as conservation agriculture can ensure good moisture retention in crop fields, and it needs to be paired with good agronomic practices,” said Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, climate and food systems expert.
Live demonstration by Kurima of machinery equipment to local farmers (Photo: CIMMYT)
CIMMYT Director General, Bram Govaerts, praised China’s recent efforts to curb its reliance on food imports and increase funding for technology-driven breeding techniques, including gene editing. Govaerts suggested such measures have managed to shield China from the unfolding global food crisis that is caused by a mix of factors such as regional conflicts, climate change and rising protectionism.
CIMMYT Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in November 2023 with the Addis Ababa-based private food processing company Alvima Foods Complex Plc, in an effort to encourage durum wheat production among smallholder farmers and create market linkage in selected woredas of Oromia and Amhara regional states.
The MoU, which is part of CIMMYT Ethiopia’s overall durum wheat project aiming to reinvigorate durum wheat production in the country, was signed by Workneh Rikita, Alvima general manager, and Kindie Tesfaye, CIMMYT Ethiopia’s senior scientist.
CIMMYT Ethiopia signing a memorandum of understanding.
The MoU aims primarily to create market linkage between farmers and manufacturers, in a context of a sharp decrease of durum wheat production. “Prior to the 1980s, 80% of the wheat produced in Ethiopia was durum, but in 2016 our nationwide research on wheat showed that the durum wheat coverage was 5%, which stands in contrast to the country’s effort to industrialize the economy and substitute import goods with local produce”, said Kindie Tesfaye, CIMMYT durum wheat project leader. “We, as CIMMYT, want to encourage farmers to produce good quality durum wheat in quantity, and teach them about contract farming by creating market linkage with produce receivers like Alvima.”
“Cooperation, not business venture”
Established in 2011, Alvima Foods Complex initially centered its operations around importing and exporting agro-food products. In 2017, the company set up a pasta and flour processing factory and contracted 800 farmers to produce durum wheat. “At first, our objective was to produce premium quality pasta, unlike most processing companies in the country which produce pasta from hard wheat or mixed wheat,” said Workneh Rikita, Alvima’s general manager. In the absence of binding rules, the project failed and Alvima resigned to import durum wheat. “The law on contract farming was constituted recently and the difficulties to access foreign currency (therefore to import goods), which led us to turn our attention back to our initial project”, said Workneh Rikita.
Alvima Foods Complex general manager added that his company didn’t sign the agreement as a business venture but as an advantageous cooperation to learn from. He thanked CIMMYT for agreeing to work with his company and expressed his hopes for its success.
The current durum wheat market in Ethiopia is unpredictable as prices are set by the brokers, which heavily disadvantages the growers. The objective of the memorandum of understanding is to address such market challenges faced by farmers, affording them guaranteed market opportunities at a fair price.
As part of the agreement between Alvima Foods Complex and the durum wheat growers in target districts of the Amhara and Oromia regional states, CIMMYT will leverage on its expertise to help the farmers produce more and in good quality. Alvima will access the produce from farmers’ cooperatives directly, without the intervention of middlemen, to guarantee better incomes to producers. Moreover, CIMMYT is training farmers on use of climate information, accessing climate advisories, video-based production trainings, and crop disease management.
“If the farmers get the premium price for their produce, they will be encouraged to continue producing better wheat,” said Kindie Tesfaye. “We want the cooperation to be sustainable and to create direct links between farmers and local food processors (such as AVLIMA). The MoU will also benefit Ethiopia by decreasing imports of processed food items.”
A multilayered challenge to durum wheat production
Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CIMMYT and Digital Green (an organization creating digital tools to assist farmers) have been conducting durum wheat improved varieties were insufficiently promoted; the seed was not made adequately accessible to farmers; productivity was perceived by farmers as being low; and market linkage was poor. These multilayered challenges led farmers to prioritize bread wheat varieties, according to Kindie Tesfaye.
In response, CIMMYT structured its support around three main pillars: the organization helps farmers access seeds together with Oromia’s Seed Enterprise, provides farmers with digital advisory services to improve their productivity, and works with the private and public sectors to upgrade market linkages, as with the memorandum of understanding signed with Alvima Foods Complex Plc.
The Gwanda Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, now renovated as part of the Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-ZIM) project, will help detect and control livestock diseases. CIMMYT is working with ILRI and other partners to improve livestock productivity and support smallholder farmers.
