The relative small-scale and fragmented nature of national food legume industries in the five Southern African countries explored in the study, and lack of cross-border investment in services, supplies and expertise brings risk with generalizations of the kind contained in an That said, a start has to be made. ‘action plan’. The action plan contained in Table A2.1 provides the basis for targeting the separate national industries in isolation with crops/varieties that best suit local people, environment and, crucially, markets available. Success with national focus can be shifted into sub-regional- and ultimately regional-focus wherein the efficiencies of cross-border expertise, transport, markets and industrial development/investment will promote a shift into This will enable regional production & ‘improved marketing’. producers, traders and processors to compete on world markets with foreign industries and, in particular, those located in the industrial countries. Table A2.1 Framework for an action plan in support of food legumes industries development Item Sub-programme Activity 1. Strengthen food legumes value chain 1. Improve value chain performance Growers linked to markets. Identify the main players in the value chain. Innovation captured and linked to Encourage main players to form groups. growers. Put groups in contact one-with-the-other. Information shared. Establish permanent linkages between groups. Promote the identity/reality of the value chain. 2. Develop market prices information systems Explore the viability of existing market information systems. Modify, augment and/or make improvements. Collect, process and disseminate market prices by crop type, crop variety, quantity and quality on daily basis. Cover all main national & regional markets. Publish information in newspapers, radio, cell/SMS and/or internet systems. 2. Improved crops/varieties/seeds 1. Selection of crop/varieties available available More germplasm materials imported, screened Wider choice of improved crop and used for multiplication productive varieties. variety seed available. Greater selection of varieties by sub-region Larger quantities of seeds available. and/or disease/pest resistance; and for specialized markets for fresh and/or industrial Quality seed supplies use. commercialized. 2. Quality seed available Greater quantities of foundation & basic seed available to growers. State-supervised production network of seed growers established with regional/crop focus. 3. Certified seed available
The relative small-scale and fragmented nature of national food legume industries in the five Southern African countries explored in the study, and lack of cross-border investment in services, supplies and expertise brings risk with generalizations of the kind contained in an ‘action plan’. That said, a start has to be made. The action plan contained in Table A2.1 provides the basis for targeting the separate national industries in isolation with crops/varieties that best suit local people, environment and, crucially, markets available. Success with national focus can be shifted into sub-regional- and ultimately regional-focus wherein the efficiencies of cross-border expertise, transport, markets and industrial development/investment will promote a shift into ‘improved production & marketing’. This will enable regional producers, traders and processors to compete on world markets with foreign industries and, in particular, those located in the industrial countries. Table A2.1 Framework for an action plan in support of food legumes industries development Item Sub-programme Activity 1. Strengthen food legumes value chain Growers linked to markets. Innovation captured and linked to growers. Information shared. 1. Improve value chain performance Identify the main players in the value chain. Encourage main players to form groups. Put groups in contact one-with-the-other. Establish permanent linkages between groups. Promote the identity/reality of the value chain. 2. Develop market prices information systems Explore the viability of existing market information systems. Modify, augment and/or make improvements. Collect, process and disseminate market prices by crop type, crop variety, quantity and quality on daily basis. Cover all main national & regional markets. Publish information in newspapers, radio, cell/SMS and/or internet systems. 2. Improved crops/varieties/seeds available Wider choice of improved crop variety seed available. Larger quantities of seeds available. Quality seed supplies commercialized. 1. Selection of crop/varieties available More germplasm materials imported, screened and used for multiplication productive varieties. Greater selection of varieties by sub-region and/or disease/pest resistance; and for specialized markets for fresh and/or industrial use. 2. Quality seed available Greater quantities of foundation & basic seed available to growers. State-supervised production network of seed growers established with regional/crop focus. 3. Certified seed available