The Accelerating Agriculture and Agribusiness in South Sudan for Enhanced Economic Development (A3-SEED) project is a five-year (2020-2025) project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Juba.
A3-SEED aims to provide market-oriented interventions to move from humanitarian support to a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector.
Learn More about the A3-SEED Project
Access the A3-SEED brochure to learn more about the project’s work in South Sudan.
A3-SEED seeks to reach more than 100,000 farming households that will see a doubling of income from marketable surpluses of targeted commodities, thereby improving livelihoods.
Result Areas
- Commercial Quality Seed Production
- Quality Seed Use, Good Agricultural Practices
- Quality Seed Input and Output Marketing and Distribution
- Learning and Capacity Development
In order to expand on EKN’s seed sector and agribusiness interventions in South Sudan, A3-SEED aims to move the seed sector from humanitarian support to a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector. A3-SEED ensures the availability of improved seed down to the last mile through agri-entrepreneurship and support of existing private-sector seed companies. The project improves seed and input marketing, distribution, and production practices. Additionally, A3-SEED supports the emergence of individual commercial seed producers that produce for the local market and/or are outgrowers for a seed company.
Expected Outcomes
- More than 100,000 farming households will see a doubling of income from marketable surpluses of targeted commodities, improving their livelihoods.
- Over 50,000 directly and 50,000 indirectly trained farmers will realize 50% and 20% yield increases, respectively, of targeted commodities.
- Development of 100 agro-dealers, 200 new businesses owned or managed by women, and 200 businesses owned or managed by youth will be facilitated.
- Over 42,000 hectares of farmland under agroecological production and improved farming practices will become more resilient to shocks.
- 50% of relief seed will be procured locally, coordinated through the Seed Trade Association of South Sudan (STASS).
A3-SEED is led by IFDC and implemented together with the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) under a budget of €8.5 million, including a €1 million intervention fund.
Outcomes
2023
- Mobilized 10 seed companies and registered 1,902 outgrowers, 409 (22%) of whom were women, for contract farming to produce quality seeds.
- Helped outgrowers cultivate 1,095 ha for seed production.
- Produced 4,725 mt of seed for a total of 9,225 mt since the project began.
- Contributed 2,398.5 mt in sales to humanitarian agencies.
- Mobilized 72 agro-dealers to get seeds to farmers through a network of village agents.
- Taught 43,572 farmers, including 22,695 women, on quality seed use and good agricultural practices.
- Reached an additional 86,320 farmers indirectly through ICT4Ag (radio jingles and talk shows) and farmer-to-farmer demonstrations; as a result, 6,225 (25%) of small-scale producers progressively decreased the yield gap.
- Improved farm management practices and/or technologies of 26,143 farmers; these improved practices were applied to 44,137.54 ha of land.
- Trained 60 government extension workers and seed companies in quality seed production and associated agronomic practices.
2022
- Mobilized and fully engaged ten seed companies through a co-investment grant to facilitate seed production, processing, and marketing.
- Mobilized and trained 32 agro-dealers and 10 seed company marketing officers to get seeds to farmers through a network of village agents; 109 mt of seed was sold through the agro-dealer network.
- Reached more than 11,000 farmers through extension services and agricultural trade shows.
- Held training for 27 extension workers and agronomists on quality seed production.
- Trained 21 seed inspectors and seven lab technicians on quality control in seed production to ensure quality seeds are produced by the seed companies.
- Seed tests are now done at the state and county levels.
2021
- Signed agreements with 10 seed companies that will form the critical private sector to drive quality seed production, increasing availability down to the last mile.
- Successfully completed a baseline study, interviewing more than 2,000 respondents in target areas.
- Conducted a soil health study involving a triangulated sampling approach; the results will facilitate the design of extension modules for farmers.
- Supported the Seed Trade Association of South Sudan (STASS) in its discussions with relief agencies to prioritize local seed procurement and with the government to establish formal monitoring and certification of seed quality.
