ICARDA Caravan 18/19

Eritrea's Rough Road to Food Security

Eritrea gained independence in 1993 and was in the process of putting in place its plans for promoting agricultural research and development. But the restart of a devastating war in 1998 and prolonged drought conditions have led to displacement and food insecurity for nearly two-thirds of the population. Since the end of the war in 2000, Eritrea is trying to rebuild its economy and ensure food security for its 3.5 million people. The country needs increased international support in its efforts to feed its population.


	An Eritrean researcher (left) from the Department of Agriculture Research, notes farmer opinion on new barley varieties that may eventually form part of a disease-breaking Hanfetse mixture (above).

Eritrea’s per capita GDP is about US$ 200. Although agriculture is a vital sector of the economy, and it employs the vast majority of the population, its contribution to GDP is just about 16%. Only 15% of the 3.2 million hectares of arable land is normally cultivated. More than 95% of the arable land is rainfed, but the rains vary in quantity and distribution. The country's farmers mainly grow cereals, with barley, wheat and tef grown in the highlands. Lack of improved varieties and technologies, and inadequate inputs, are additional constraints to productive agriculture. The country, therefore, depends largely on imported food to satisfy the needs of its population.

ICARDA is working with scientists in Eritrea to promote agricultural research and increase food production in the country. Major areas of collaboration include disease control in cereals, promotion of conducive seed polices, and building capacities of Eritrean agricultural scientists. Eritrea is one of the countries participating in ICARDA's Nile Valley and Red Sea Regional Program (NVRSRP) which aims at increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers through the improvement of productivity and sustainability of the agricultural production systems, while conserving natural resources, and enhancing the research capacity of national scientists. Other countries in the NVRSRP program are Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen.

Cereals

Cereal crops account for 95% of the cultivated area. Despite their importance, productivity remains very low, less than 1 t/ha. This is due to various biotic and abiotic stresses, and poor production practices. Diseases are among the main limiting factors. Because there is a wide range of virulent rust pathotypes, disease resistance in wheat breaks down easily, giving rise to the need to develop new, disease-resistant varieties speedily. In barley, a wide spectrum of leaf blotch diseases are known to have spread to epidemic levels.

To alleviate the impact of diseases, such as the rusts on wheat and the leaf blotch diseases on barley, farmers plant mixtures of wheat and barley seed. The mixture is known as hanfetse, and the practice is common in many cereal producing areas. Disease incidence in both wheat and barley can be reduced, but the potential benefits of this practice are often lost due to the difference between wheat and barley in their maturity range.

The inherent variability of cereal diseases in Eritrea requires a broader based, integrated management strategy that enhances durability of disease resistance through an appropriate gene management system, complimented by other control methods, such as cultural practices, safe chemicals, and biological control. ICARDA is working with Eritrea's national agricultural research system on a project aimed at developing an integrated disease management strategy that will contribute to improved production and income. The objective is to control cereal diseases and to reduce their spread. The project is funded by the Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA).

Seed Security

Sources of resistance to yellow rust in new wheat germplasm from ICARDA.

Food security in Africa depends on seed security, but in many countries seed supply is precarious. The Seed Unit at ICARDA has been focusing attention on institutional problems in the seed supply system, particularly in the countries of North Africa and the Nile Valley. Eritrea was part of a study on seed security assessment in drought areas, which was conducted by ICARDA between 1996 and 1998. The study was undertaken to find ways to mitigate food insecurity by restoring or maintaining the food production capacity of farmers in disaster-stricken environments.

Human Resource Development

Since its establishment in 1977, ICARDA has considered training, capacity building, and networking as essential to develop effective and sustainable national agricultural research systems. During the period 1978-2001, ICARDA provided training opportunities to over 90 Eritrean researchers in a wide range of disciplines. Also, several researchers have conducted their MSc and PhD research at ICARDA.