Tree seeds and seedling system (private/community/public) Group 1

Main Actors in the seed system Higher learning institutions – Seedling production, community service FRC – Seed source id & establishment, collect, test & distribute Gene bank – Collect for conservation BoAs – Collect for public nursery & dissemination State forest enterprises (Amhara/Oromia…) – Collect for own nurseries /give support to farmers for seed production NGOs – Buy & distribute seeds – Seedling: support and produce Private vendors – Buy & sell Farmers (coops) – Collect for own use & also sell (seedling) Regional seed centers (SNNP, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray) – Potential role players in the making

Current status and gaps Haphazard management of seed and seedlings No feedback loop between seed suppliers and users Compromised quantity and quality of seed and seedlings (sources not known or documented) There is good indigenous knowledge on the use of trees among farmers but a gap on the knowledge of propagating trees Mostly exotic forestry –quick economic benefit oriented National demand and supply unbalanced State, community, private and youth involved in seedling production Active seedling production including in urban areas but seed sources unknown State run nurseries are under budgeted

Current status and gaps cont… There are more public and private nurseries as compared to community ones Private sector not engaged as much as in crop seed systems Economic drive alone should not dominate Focus on some (mainly exotic) is undermining the biodiversity Collected tree seeds and seedlings represent a very few proportion of the native tree and shrub species In drylands, nursery sites for trees are not as favored compared to nursery sites for fruit trees because of the scarce resource, water Lack of capacity in terms of inputs (seeds/nursery sites/management manuals for trees ) …

Suggestion Focus should be given to demand creation Need assessment is necessary before production, hence planting purposes should be clearly known before seed and seedling production Forestry extension system should be strengthened We need a holistic approach/a value chain approach

Suggestions cont… Tissue culture capacity should be enhanced We should trigger more the tree planting at homesteads The seed system needs to be market oriented There is need for decentralized management More research should also be done on propagation of certain species Species production should follow agroecologies and economic importance Training and inputs needed for improved seedling production Technical manuals for each forest tree species should be produced Proper tree seed, seedling and nursery database and information system should be in place