SEVENTH SIX-MONTH PROGRESS REPORT FOR PROJECT

REPORT COVER PAGE

Participating UN Organization: Cluster:

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of
the UN

Project No. and Project Title: A5 - 16 Report Number:

OSRO/IRQ/502/UDG 4
Rehabilitation and Development of the
National Seed Industry in Iraq

Reporting Period: Project Budget [and revision if applicable]:

01 July – 31 December 2007 US$5 383 460

List Implementing Partners: Geographic Coverage/Scope:

 Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Iraq - Nationwide coverage for the Strategy
and Technical assistance. Physical
rehabilitation in North, Centre and South.
Training overseas and in the country.

Abbreviations and acronyms: Project Status: Duration/Closed

Project/Timeline Extension:
MoA – Ministry of Agriculture  2 years
PSC – Project Steering Committee
SBSTC- State Board for Seed Testing and
Certification
SBAR – State Board for Agricultural Research
AGPS – Seed and Plant Genetic Resources
Service, FAO

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Report Formatting Instructions: We kindly ask that you review the instructions below and follow them in the preparation of
your report:
 Number all sections and paragraphs as indicated below
 Format the entire document using the following font: 12point _ Times New Roman & do not use colours.
 Highlight any new challenges/constraints, mitigation strategies and lessons learned during the reporting
period as well as monitoring processes and assessments, evaluations and studies undertaken/published in the
period. Attach documents.
 Attach any available photos relevant to the project.

NARRATIVE REPORT FORMAT

I. Purpose
Provide the main objectives, outcomes, outputs of the programme/project
The main objective is to improve food security and nutrition in Iraq through rehabilitation and
improvement of the national seed programme thereby promoting the availability and use of high
quality seeds of adapted varieties by farmers and provide the foundation of a sustainable seed
industry. The performance of the national seed industry is to be enhanced through formulation of a
national seed policy, review and up-grade of the seed legislation in place and improvement of the
coordination and oversight arrangements. Through the rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure
for variety development and evaluation, variety maintenance, initial seed multiplication and seed
quality control, the project aims at increasing the capacity of the national seed industry. In addition
to supplying the required equipment, the project aims at providing technical training to improve
the capacity of key human resources in the national seed industry.
Expected outputs are:
 a clear and concise national seed policy formulated in a participatory manner and launched
by the Ministry of Agriculture to serve as the blueprint for guiding the development of the
national seed industry
 a seed legislation in place reviewed and up-graded to make it in line with the new policy
objectives;
 a strong and clearly mandated National Seed Board with Government representatives in the
executive position and non-voting private sector representatives of seed industry
stakeholders in an advisory capacity put in place and functioning;
 full specifications formulated for the laboratory and field equipment and required repairs
and reconstruction of buildings;
 essential buildings and infrastructure for the seed programme repaired and reconstructed
and procured equipment installed;
 breeders seeds of wheat 0.0750 tonne, barley 0.0250 tonne, corn 0.2 tonne and rice 1 tonne
locally produced;
 foundation seeds of wheat 50 tonne, barley 5 tonne, corn 5 tonne and rice 20 tonne
produced.
 variety maintenance techniques and procedures for the target crops developed;
 existing database for seed quality control operations improved and strengthened;
 transportation and communication system in SBSTC for field inspection, seed processing
plants and other seed quality control operations improved;

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  exposure of 30 Iraqi scientists and 2 senior staff of MOA to modern developments
regarding improving national seed industry in variety development and evaluation, variety
maintenance, seed production and marketing systems and seed quality control;
 in service training conducted for staff involved in various components of the national seed
programme.

Main activities are:

 arrange a national seed workshop including representatives of all national seed industry
institutions to debate and build consensus on key issues pertinent to the further
development of the national seed industry.
 using the outcome of the deliberations in the workshop draft a National Seed Policy and
Plan document and assist the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt it.
 organize a series of forums and meetings to create awareness regarding the role of the
National Seed Policy and sensitize various participants regarding their roles
 recruitment of an international consultant and a national legal consultant with a legal
background and experience with seed sector issues
 review of each piece of existing seed legislation
 arrange a seminar for key government officials and seed sector stakeholders to gain their
views on necessary changes in the review exercise
 draft a new national seed law for consideration by the Government and national
stakeholders
 prepare full terms of reference, structure and mandate of a National Seed Board which
reflects the current seed industry situation as well as its future prospects and assist MoA to
adopt them
 assist MoA to undertake a process of consultations to select seed industry representatives to
serve on the rejuvenated National Seed Board
 carry out an assessment of needs for laboratory and field equipment repairs and
reconstruction of damaged SBAR and SBSTC buildings
 formulate detailed specifications for equipments and repairs and reconstruction of damaged
buildings
 initiate and complete the procurement process for equipment
 install equipments in seed laboratories and research stations
 carry out on-the-job training of selected staff on operation and maintenance of equipments
 carry out the required repairs and reconstruction of buildings
 assist and guide research stations in the production of breeder seed: 0.0750 tonne of wheat,
0.0250 tonne of barley, 0.2 tonne of corn and 1 tonne of maize
 assist in the production of foundation seeds of wheat 50 tonne, barley 5 tonne, corn 5 tonne
and rice 20 tonne.
 identify suitable institute for training in variety maintenance
 organize training on variety maintenance in international research centre
 develop required techniques and procedures for variety maintenance
 implement the application of techniques and procedures for variety maintenance
 implement a training course for 5 staff on variety maintenance for target cereal crops
 review and carry out improvements in the operation of existing database
 procure and install 10 computers
 organize a training course for 25 SBSTC staff on the use and management of the improved
database
 procure and install 5 units of communication system for use by inspectors of SBSTC
 identify, select and place 30 suitable candidates for fellowships (10 in variety development
and evaluation, 6 in seed production and marketing systems, 9 in seed quality control and

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 5 in variety maintenance) and 2 senior staff for study tours
 conduct an in-service course on variety development and evaluation for 30 staff
 conduct an in-service course on seed production and marketing systems for 30 staff
 conduct an in-service course on seed quality control for 30 staff.
Explain how the programme/project is relevant to the following benchmarks:
 UN Assistance Strategy for Iraq,
 UN Millennium Development Goals,
 Joint Needs Assessment ,
 Iraqi National Development Strategy
FAO will ensure project activities are integrated into the overall UN strategy for Iraq. This
supports the Iraqi National Development Strategy while contributing to the Millennium
Development Goals. The project is designed to achieve:
 enhanced and sustainable long-term food production and natural resource management;
 rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure;
 strengthened institutional development and capacity building;
 support to legislation, policy and strategy formulation;
 enhanced employment and income-generation;
 enhanced environmental restoration and conservation.

The project will have a direct contribution to the attainment of the MDGs in Iraq. The Goals that
will be focused on are Goal 1 “Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” through the raising of the
potential for domestic food production and associated job creation and promotion of income-
generating activities; Goal 3 “Promote gender equality and empower women” through encouraging
women to engage in the project activities.
The project will also indirectly contribute to other Goals (2, 4, 5 and 7) through its capacity
building/training interventions and improvement of the food security situation.
Indicate the main implementing partners, their roles and responsibilities, and their interaction with
the Agency
FAO executes the project activities in close collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture.
Specifically Stage Board for Agricultural Research (SBAR) and the SBSTC are involved in the
activities implementation.

The SBAR is the research wing of the MoA and is responsible for the process of preserving
breeding stock; variety maintenance, breeders and foundations seeds production of major food
crops in its facilities of research centres and seed production stations. These activities constitute
the cornerstone of a strong seed production and marketing chain. SBAR has research stations with
mandate for targeted crops of the project (wheat, barley, corn and rice) in suitable agro-ecology of
the country.

The SBSTC in the only national institution authorized to control seed quality of all crops and is
involved in all the operations for registration and release of varieties as well as the quality control
of the imported seeds. Through its main office at Baghdad, and the branch offices in the other
Governorates, SBAR is involved in field inspection of certified seed production programme and
undertakes quality control of the seed processing operations. In the past the SBSTC had also
established a database system for monitoring the local seed production, processing and marketing
as well as the quantities and qualities of the imported seeds in the country.

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FAO project activities are geared towards rehabilitating the research facilities of the SBAR and the
physical infrastructure of SBSTC with the procurement and supply of equipment for seed
processing and quality control. With the provision of office automation equipment the database
maintenance would become feasible. Capacity building is a key activity for both the research and
quality control aspects.
With the participation in the project activities implementation of SBAR and SBSTC which are the
major players in the long chain of seed system in Iraq, it is ensured that the equipment provided
and the external as well as internal training organized are need-based.
The process of formulation of policy and legislative review and drafting of new seed laws is
followed with stakeholders participatory meeting, discussion, workshop and for a. For this the
MoA takes the lead role and ensures that both public and private sectors are adequately
represented.
In the Project Steering Committee (PSC) which is joint committee of FAO and MoA with
responsibility of oversight of the workplan, monitoring of the implementation to see to it that funds
are correctly utilized and to provide alternate course of action required, high officials from SBAR
and SBSTC make the representatives from the implementing Government partner.

II. Human Resources

National Staff & Consultants: Provide details on the number and type (operation/programme)
National Project Coordinator – stationed at Baghdad, Iraq nominated by the Iraqi Ministry of
Agriculture for support to programme coordination, workplan formulation and assistance in
activities implementation.
International Staff: Provide details on the number and type (operation/programme)
International Project Manager (Chief Technical Adviser) stationed at Amman, Jordan with the
responsibility of overall project management.
International Operations Consultant stated at Amman to support the operational aspects of the
Project implementation.

III. Methods of Operating

Summarize the implementation mechanisms primarily utilized and how they are adapted to
achieve maximum impact given the challenging operating context.
The FAO works very closely with the counterpart Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) for the
activities implementation.
Due to the prevailing security situation at present which does not allow for normal field visit of
the international staff to the areas of programme implementation within Iraq, the management
is undertaken from the FAO-Iraq Office relocated to Amman with remote-control mechanism.
The overall programme management responsibility under supervision of the Officer-in-Charge
of FAO-Iraq Programme is undertaken by the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) located at
Amman. The CTA is at constant touch with the National Project Coordinator (NPC) located at
the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture through enhanced communication by use of telephone,
electronic mail and video-conferencing wherever necessity arises
Periodic progress reports are received from the field. The NPC is encouraged to make as many
missions as necessary to Amman on programme planning, monitoring, technical specifications
and bids evaluation review on procurement issues. The Project Steering Committee guides on

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 the activities implementation and recommends alternative course of actions required. Within
the FAO system, the Special Emergency Programmes Service (TCES) of the Operations
Division is responsible for operation of the project at the field and works together with the
Technical Division (AGPS) which is the Lead Technical Unit for technical-
backstopping and the Procurement Division (AFSP) for the equipment procurement.
Provide details on the procurement procedures utilized and explain variances in standard
procedures.
The technical specifications of the equipment mentioned in the project document are drafted by
the staff of the MoA at Baghdad. This ensures that the items procured under the project are
suitable to the local utilization by the beneficiaries. The Project CTA fine-tunes the
specifications taking into consideration the latest technology available and the field
requirements. The Technical Division at the HQs provides the final comments and the
clearance on the technical specifications.
The Operations Division then requests the AFSP for procurement of the equipment with
provision of the detailed technical specifications, quantity and delivery points. AFSP following
FAO procurement procedures is responsible to float the tender for the requested items.
The bids evaluation and technical clearance is undertaken by the Technical Division. The
AFSP is responsible for awarding the purchase order to the supplier of the item technically
cleared with the lowest cost. Prior to bids awarding by AFSP, the Operations Division ensures
that the MoA endorses the bids evaluation undertaken by the Technical Division.
No variance in standard procurement has been required.
Provide details on the monitoring system(s) that are being used and how you identify and
incorporate lessons learned into the ongoing programme/project.
Physical monitoring visits to the programme implementation sites by the international staff
stationed at Amman are not possible due to prevailing security situation. Constant
communication channel between Amman and Baghdad (the NPC and Iraqi MoA) on activities
implementation status, progress and constraints, periodic report preparation by the field,
dissemination of relevant information have been key as monitoring tool. Decisions are taken as
quickly as possible for any needful alternative actions.
A monthly progress report is prepared by the CTA and submitted to the OIC of FAO-Iraq
Programme for necessary action and on-forwarding to the Operations Division at the headquarters.
Periodically the Technical Division is apprised of the progress of the work activities in relation to
the agreed upon workplan. The Technical Division would advise through available communication
channels and makes backstopping field visits
Report on any assessments, evaluations or studies undertaken.
None.

IV. Results
Provide a summary of programme/project progress in relation to planned outcomes and outputs;
explain any variance in achieved versus planned outputs during the six month reporting period.

Nations Seed Policy Formulation and Legislative Review:

Building upon primarily on the recommendations of the Working Groups constituted at the First
National Seed Workshop the outputs of which were reported in the 6 th Six-Month Report, a three-

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day National Seed Policy Forum participated by the Iraqis representing the seed industry
stakeholders from the Ministry of Agriculture, public and private sectors, breeders, seed
entrepreneurs, seed growers, quality control, production, processing and marketing was organized
at Amman.
Through holding of the Forum, a draft of seed policy and plan document for Iraq was prepared.
The document has been circulated for further consultation and final touch among the stakeholders’
representative who took part in the Forum. The document after finalization would be submitted to
the MoA to be adopted as Government policy paper. The policy document addresses the overall
oversight and coordination mechanism for sustainable seed industry in Iraq.
The existing pieces of legislation with relevance to the seed sector have been collected. Upon the
adoption of the new seed policy by the Government, there would be comprehensive legislative
review and new seed laws would be drafted.

Equipment Procurement and Infrastructure Rehabilitation:

There were 47 items comprised of field equipment, seed processing machines and seed testing
equipment for which FAO headquarters processed the procurement. These equipment would be
used in seed production farm, for seed cleaning, grading and treating, and for seed quality testing
in the laboratories. All the field equipment item except two items, all processing item (remaining
only one) and PCR have been delivered to the field. Among the seed testing equipment as
manufacture of one item was delayed, in the request of the MoA, the whole lot would be delivered
in one consignment during the next reporting period.
Office automation equipment e.g. desktop and laptop computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers,
and other equipment such as GPS for the use of the seed technical personnel of the MoA in the
field have been procured. Internet system has been installed for the facilitation of the
communication.
There will be construction and installation of 3 plastic greenhouses for the use of SBAR at Abu-
Ghraib. One glass greenhouse to be used by the SBSTC would be constructed and installed at Al-
Zaafarniay, Bahgdad Governorate. The technical specifications drafted by the Iraqi MoA and fine-
tuned by the FAO Field technical team at Amman has been forwarded to Rome for clearance prior
to tender request.
For the construction of five buildings draft design and bill of quantity has been prepared by the
Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. The sites belong to MoA’s State Board for Agricultural Research
(SBAR) and State Board for Seed Testing and Certification (SBSTC) as follows:
 Al-Sawaira, Wasit Governorates (SBAR);
 Al-Qadisiyah, Qadisiyah Gov. (SBAR);
 Al-Mishkhab, Najaf Gov. (SBAR)
 Al-Basrah, Basrah Gov. (SBSTC); and
 Al Nasiriya, Thykar Gov. (SBSTC);

The layout plan, orientation, and exact location of the construction sites are being awaited from the
Ministry of Agriculture which would enable FAO to go forward on construction activities with the
involvement of the private sector construction firms.
The tendering process for the building construction is somewhat delayed due to inadequacy of
required technical manpower for finalizing the building design and the bill of quantities in the
MOA. FAO’s initial effort at Amman level to engage private consulting companies for this
purpose was not successful. To be implemented in the next reporting period the needful steps are

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planned so as to complete the tender documents with private sector service contract from within
Iraq.
External Training Programme:
Training in India:
Iraqi MoA staff numbering total of 15 underwent a two-month seed technology training at the
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India with the following courses

Course: Training on seed production and marketing;

Number of trainees: 6
Duration: 13 September 2007 to 24 October 2007.
Course outline:
 Morphology of wheat, barley, corn and rice;
 Principles of cereal seed production
 Causes of varietal impurities
 Maintenance of varietal purity
 Method of seed production of wheat, barley, corn and rice
 Hybrid seed production-Principles and practices
 Seed processing and storage
 Seed market analysis
 Determination of seed price and economics of seed production
Course: Training on seed quality control;
Number of trainees: 9
Duration: 15 November 2007 to 25 December 2007
Course outline:
 Concept of Seed Quality Control
 Principles and procedure of seed certification
 Seed testing
 Seed sampling
 Seed purity
 Seed moisture
 Seed germination
 Seed health tests
 Other special tests
 Seed processing & storage
 Requirements for establishment of Seed Testing laboratory and its management
According to the training participants upon return they expressed views that sufficient practical
sessions were provided and the training programme which they considered very useful and
educative. The trainees were particularly happy on learning new techniques on seed production,
quality control and marketing and they believed that the knowledge they acquired would help
improve their work back to Iraq.
The two completed courses are part of 3 courses a total of 25 Iraqis are scheduled to go for training
in India. The third course would be undertaken in the next reporting period.

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Training at ICARDA, Syria:
To further enhance the capabilities of Iraqi technical personnel with state of the art technology
transfer, 5 Iraqi plant breeders will undergo a 2-month comprehensive practical training on variety
maintenance at the Internal Centre of Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) under a
Letter of Agreement FAO signed with ICARDA. The training will be organized in the next
reporting period.
It is envisaged that as the external training are basically trainers’ training, the Iraqi MOA staff
upon return to their country would help enhance the technical capabilities of a greater number of
Iraqi staff after holding of the respective internal training.
Report on progress made toward the achievement of specific medium-term outcomes of the
programme/project as a result of the achieved short-term outputs during this reporting period.
The development objective of the project is to improve food security and nutrition in Iraq
through rehabilitation and improvement of the national seed programme, which will promote
the availability and use of high quality seeds of adapted varieties to farmers and provide the
foundation of a sustainable seed industry.
The following three major outputs achieved during the reporting period have contributed in the
targeted outcome.
i) The holding of the First National Seed Workshop participated in by representatives of
the stake holders of the Iraqi seed sector which provided for a platform for presentation
of pertinent papers and venue of idea exchanges and preparation of the Working
Groups Recommendations on national seed policy and legislation review would be
useful to enhance the performance of national seed industry with improvement of
coordination and oversight arrangements.
ii) Procurement of field equipment and the seed processing machines with spare parts and
production of foundation seeds of adapted varieties would contribute in variety
maintenance, seed multiplication and quality control for increased capacity of national
seed industry; and
iii) The external training undertaken by the staff of the Iraqi MoA in seed technology
aspects has been useful in gaining information, skill and knowledge that would further
be disseminated among larger number of national technical manpower to enhance their
capacity. .
Report on the key outputs achieved in the six month period including # and nature of the
activities (inputs), % of completion and beneficiaries.
 A National Seed Policy Forum and legislative review meeting to be attended by
seed sectors stake holders from both public and private sectors from Iraq – 75% of
planned;
 Seed technology training course in two batches to be participated by 15 Iraqi MoA
staff as overseas fellowship – 100% of planned;
 Procurement of farm equipment, seed processing machines and seed testing
equipment – 75% of planned;
 Construction of greenhouses – 50% of planned;
 Construction of seed testing laboratory buildings – 25% of planned;

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 Explain, if relevant, delays in programme/project implementation, the nature of the
constraints, lessons learned in the process and actions taken to mitigate future delays.
 Delay was experienced in the finalization of the design and the preparation of the
bill of quantity of five seed laboratory buildings due to unavailability of competent
technical resources in the line ministry. Further information on construction exact
site, orientation and layout plan has been requested from the MoA to enable FAO
take the service of the private sector contracting firms in finalization of building
tender documents and ultimately float tenders. The undertaking of construction
works will be taken through contract.
 Some delay in procurement of field and seed equipment have been experienced due
to suppliers’ request for extended period of manufacture, and request for change of
delivery point due to Iraq’s security situation. For procurement of some items re-
tendering was required due to insufficient number of tenders being receipt.
List the key partnerships and collaborations, and explain how such relationships impact on
the achievement of results.
The project is executed by FAO and implemented by the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. Generally
there is high level of collaboration extended from the counterpart Ministry taking into account the
security situation prevalent over Iraq.
FAO cooperates closely by providing technical support with the main development agencies of the
Iraqi MoA namely State Board for Agricultural Research (SBAR) and the State Board for Seed
Testing and Certification (SBSTC) which are involved in aspects of variety maintenance, seed
production and quality control.

The process of formulation of the national seed policy and plan was carried out in a National Seed
Policy Forum in a participatory manner involving all seed industry stakeholders both in the public
and private sectors. This consultative participatory exercise will further continue through meetings,
seminars and workshops during the next step of seed sector legislative reviews and drafting of new
seed laws needed for the country’s sustainable seed industry. . The outcomes of this process will
not only enhance ownership by the Iraqi nationals but also will forge closer collaborative linkages
among the stakeholders during implementation, thereby ensuring success. There is a likely
emergence of private sector interests in the seed sector, after the new policy would be adopted by
the Government, suitable seed legislations are enacted and seed regulations are put in place. It is
envisaged that operating in a competitive environment these private initiatives may thus propel the
development and delivery of greater supplies of better quality seeds to farmers in a more
sustainable manner in the longer-term.

The agricultural research centres and SBSTC staff as implementing partners routinely participate
in the process of rehabilitation and improvement of the infrastructures for their institutions through
the scheduled assessments, development of required specifications and installation activities. The
process of re-establishment of the technical capacities of these institutions involves the training of
trainers through overseas fellowships and study tours. The 30 staff members who are being trained
overseas would be involved in the training of 145 other staff in their institutions in 5 locally
conducted training courses in various seed industry disciplines. The technical agenda of putting in
place, once again, the multi-year seed production cycle in the agricultural research centres and the
re-strengthening of the seed quality control operations of SBSTC will be determined by the trained
staff upon rehabilitation of the physical infrastructures and installation of required equipment and
machinery.

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In the newly drafted National Seed Policy and Plan document, the members of the National Seeds
Board are drawn to represent all seed industry stakeholders, researchers, agriculture practitioners,
private sector, etc.
Universities will be invited and civil societies and NGOs will be involved where necessary.
Summarize achievements against planned results for cross cutting issues: security, gender,
human rights, employment (including # of short and/or long-term jobs created), and
environment.
In the short-term the project has target of creating around 500 job opportunities in connection
with rehabilitation activities and increased seed production. In the longer term the private
sector will increase seed production and there will be associated employment opportunities.

For the reporting period, it is not possible to exactly quantify the achievement on job creation
as the rehabilitation and seed production activities are under progress. Relevant information
would be provided in the next reporting period in this regards

V. Future Work Plan

Summarize the projected activities up to the end of June 2008 indicating any major adjustments in
strategies, targets or key outcomes and outputs planned.
The following are the major project activities up to the end of June 2008;
 Finalization of the National Seed Policy and Plan document and assist the MoA for its
adoption;
 Review of each pieces of legislations on seed aspects and drafting of new seed laws;
 Procurement process for auxiliary equipment and laboratory supplies;
 Completion of procurement of farm tools, seed processing machines and seed testing
equipment and their operation;
 Greenhouse construction, commissioning and hand-over to the MoA;
 Finalization of design and BOQ, tendering and undertake building construction works;
 Technical support the MoA on variety maintenance techniques, breeders seeds and
foundations seeds production;
 Undertake third batch 6-week seed technology course with 10 Iraqi trainees at IARI, India
and a 2-month variety maintenance course for 5 Iraqi researchers at the ICARDA, Syria.
 Organize in-country training courses for technicians of the Iraqi MoA. The participants of
the overseas training upon return to Iraq will act as trainers.
 Organize farmers’ field demonstration and training on improved seed production.
 Technical support to MoA in seed multiplication and quality control programme.

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