Forage seed system, Indigenous knowledge and constraints of forage production in Afghanistan

Abstract

The Afghanistan seed sector is in transition after the postwar reconstruction and rebuilding (Kugbei et al., 2011). Though the national seed policy and law was enacted in 2009 (Gazette, Govt. of Afghanistan, 2009), its implementation is yet to take off. Availability and access to quality seed is one of the major limiting factors for the crop-livestock production system in Afghanistan. Informal seed sector is dominant where the vast majority of farmers are saving their own seed of both local and improved varieties of forage crops. The purpose of this study is to understand the status of the forage seed system, indigenous knowledge of farmers and constraints in seed production of forage crops and the possible options to improve it.