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International Year of Pulses 2016 Regional Dialogue for
Middle East, Nile Valley (MENV)
Draft Report
Organizer: FAO/ICARDA
Samiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Cairo, Date: Wednesday and Thursday, November 2-3, 2016
Participants: 15-20 participants from MENV
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Following a call from FAO for an International dialogue on Pulses in the MENA region, a meeting of essential experts was organized from 2-3 Nov 2016 at Cairo. The set objectives were:
Understand/Document the “state-of-the-art” on pulses in each Region in terms of opportunities
and challenges, including existing policy environment
Agree on common priorities for advocacy and promotion of pulses in each region.
Identify knowledge gaps and research needs
The Near East and Nile Valley Regional Dialogue on the International Year of Pulses in Cairo, Egypt was hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). More than 20 experts met on November 2nd and 3rd to share their knowledge and experience, covering all aspects related to pulses and legumes in the region and beyond.
In addition to FAO and ICARDA experts, the regional dialogue was attended by experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, the Sudanese Agricultural Research Center, and the Egyptian Agricultural Research Center.
Mr. Pasquale Steduto, FAO Regional Strategic Programmes Coordinator, stressed in his inaugural message on the importance of regional dialogues as a medium for knowledge sharing, on the road to the Global dialogue, which will be hosted at FAO HQ towards the end of this month.
Ms. Maggie Habib, FAO’s Special International Year of Pulses Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa region, shared her experience in advocating for pulses throughout this year, and confirmed that “the pulses which were the main foods since the dawn of humanity will remain as the food of the future, and one of the best options to address the challenges of climate change.”
Positioning the regional dialogue on pulses within the global framework of the International year of Pulses was presented by Mr. Aladdin Hamwieh (ICARDA) and Mr. Mohamed Dost (FAO).
Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal (ICARDA) presented research strategies for pulses sufficiency in the Region. Presently, the MENA region produces 2.6 million tonnes of pulses from 2.2 million ha land as compared to 78 m tonnes from 85 m ha land globally. With 1.75 million tonnes, the MENA region is the second largest importer of pulses, mainly including the faba bean, lentil and kabuli chickpea. He raised a concern that the current cropping systems in the region are skewed to cereals which means that the benefits legumes can offer to society are not delivered in the region. In order to make the region pulses sufficient, he suggested a four-pronged strategy which include closing the existing yield gaps (which are as high as 60%), new genetic gains through breeding efficient plant type, bringing at least 10% area under pulses as compared to the present level of 7%, and reducing post-harvest losses (16% losses in MENA). This strategy can result in 8 million tonnes of pulses which can fill the demand-supply gap of pulses in the region.
This was followed by a presentation of Fouad Maalouf (ICARDA) over Current constraints, successes and future challenges facing pulses in the Near East, Nile Valley and North Africa Region. Food security was presented by Clemens Breisinger (IFPRI), while Murari Singh (ICARDA) spoke about Suitability and Identification of Pulses in Cropping Systems for Nutritional Security, Better Livelihood and
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Mitigation for Climate Change: Need for on-farm experimentation and minimum datasets for modelling for out-scaling of the production system.
Mr. Mohammad Kharrat (ICARDA) spoke about Pulse production in North Africa, followed by Aladdin Hamwieh (ICARDA) who spoke about Pulses contribution to sustainable agriculture in a changing environment.
Dr. Hatem Abo Taleb spoke about Legume-Biological nitrogen fixation, before allowing participants from Lebanon, Sudan and Egypt to discuss challenges and demands at national levels.
The two days’ dialogue was concluded by open discussions, followed by regional recommendations which will be presented to the Global Dialogue in Rome about pulses, the nutritive seeds for a sustainable future.
II. RECOMMENDATIONS
POLICY The present policies in the region discourage farmers to cultivate pulses in spite of remunerative
market prices and therefore enable the policy environment to favor pulse production needs created by national governments.
RESEARCH
Research for development efforts should be directed towards development of improved varieties, amenable to machine harvest, and apart from resistance to key diseases, weeds, and insect pests have labour saving and market traits like large seeds and quality traits. There is a need to develop climate resilient varieties to counter the effect of climate change and variability.
Research on integrated crop management options including the application of new irrigation systems, early warning system for diseases, and the application of bio-organic fertilizers needs to be strengthened.
Popularization and demonstration of recently released varieties associated with best agronomic practices in a wide range of agro-climatic conditions in farmer fields.
Research investment (National and International research systems) needs to be enhanced to develop more productive and efficient varieties and technologies.
Enhanced research for development capacity in the region by facilitating research-policy linkages, introducing new skills, and increasing collaboration with international centers and advanced research institutes.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Establish a regional research network for pulses for eco-regional technologies
Develop an effective Seed System and Extension for fast dissemination of technologies
Enhance efficiency of Pulses value chain from crop production and agro-processing, to preservation and utilization needs
Enhance public awareness on Pulses- Institutional websites, local and international TV news/programs, Social media (Facebook, Tweeter, YouTube…etc.)
In the closing remark, Dr. Mohammad Dost from FAO thanked the Participants for their fruitful discussions and valuable contributions. He also expressed his gratitude to ICARDA for its support to the organization of the Regional Dialogue.
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On the basis of presentations and discussions, the group arrived at the following.
CONSTRAINTS FOR PULSES PRODUCTION IN MENA REGION:
Policy
1. Lack of short and long term agricultural policies in favor of pulses - Low priority for legume
research
Income generation factors
2. Competition with other cash crops
3. Gap between farmer and consumer prices
4. Absence of value chain for pulses
5. Lack of agro-processing for better marketing for high value international markets.
6. Absence of an awareness program
7. Weak advertising system and production valorization for promoting pulses
Crop productivity bottlenecks
8. Limited funding for the development of pulses
9. Weak breeding program in some countries
10. Lack of legume breeding research capacities
11. Biotic stresses (fungal diseases, pests, parasitic plants, diseases, viruses and Orobanche, aphid...)
12. Abiotic stresses (mainly drought)
13. Soil and water salinity
14. Soil fertility (e.g. new and old land in Egypt)
Production bottlenecks
15. Lack of national extension programs (Crop rotation, Bio fertilizers, Integrated pest management,
etc….).
16. Weak seed production system
17. Lack of availability of certified seeds
18. Lack of mechanization for planting and harvesting
19. Weak pulse crops management in farmer field
20. Yield gap between on-station and farmer field
STRENGTH OF PULSES PRODUCTION IN MENA REGION:
1. Availability of resilient and tolerant varieties from International centers (i.e. ICARDA)
2. Innovations in culinary use
3. Public awareness and preparedness for new healthy dietary habits
4. Green consumption (Chickpeas and Faba beans)
5. Sustainability component of cropping system
6. Meat substitution and mitigation of climate change
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SOLUTIONS:
Policy
1. Governmental policies that favor pulses over low value crops
2. Scaling up or replicating successful policies on other crops
Public awareness
3. Use of public media to exchange show and tell culinary demonstrations; especially written media
through schools, rural communities, etc.…
Research
4. Research for introduction of:
early and shorter duration varieties
higher yielding and adaptation to both biotic and abiotic stresses combined with integrated
crop management options including the application of new irrigation systems, early warning
systems for diseases and bio-organic fertilizers
varieties for mechanical harvesting
Production practices
5. Popularization and demonstration of recently released varieties associated with best agronomic
practices in a wide range of farmer fields.
6. Mechanization of agriculture practices e.g. planting and harvesting
Institution and infrastructure development
7. Strengthen seed units at MOA and ARC station, development of seed production system
8. Encourage private sector for pluses seed production
9. Encourage farmers to participate in quality seed production
10. Establish value chain to promote the sector
RECOMMENDATIONS
Policy
Government policies to favor pulse production at par with other crops
Research
Mandate the research for new seeds with desirable traits (short duration, adaptive, high yielding,
suited for mechanization, low anti-nutrition factors such as trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors,
lectins, polyphenols, flatulence factors, antihistamines allergens… etc.)
Procure research funding (National and International research systems)
Enhance research capacity of the region by
a. facilitating research-policy linkages, introduction to new skills, field days
b. increased collaboration with international centers, advance research institutes
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Infrastructure development
Register of research network
Develop an effective Seed System and Extension with value chain containing crop production,
agro-processing, preservation and utilization
Enhance public awareness on Pulses- Institutional websites, local and international TV
news/programs, Social media (Facebook, Tweeter, YouTube…etc.)
ANNEX-I: List of participants
No. Participant Position Affiliation/Country
1 Murari Singh Senior Biometrician ICARDA/Canadian
2 Mohamed Kharrat Director of grain legume program , INRAT - Tunis
INRAT/Tunis
3 Moez Amri Faba bean breeder INRAT/Tunis
4 Shiv Kumar Agrawal Legume coordinator in the biodiversity and integrated gene management Program/ Lentil breeder
ICARDA/Indian
5 Fouad Maalouf Legume coordinator at Terbol station/ faba bean breeder
ICARDA/Lebanese
6 Rola El Amil Pathologist at Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute
LARI/Lebanon
7 Ahmad El Bitar Biotechnologist at Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute
LARI/Lebanon
8 Mona Saliba Economist at Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute
LARI/Lebanon
9 Abdelmagid Adlan Babiker
Legume pathologist, ARC/Sudan
10 Gamal Elkhair Ismaeel Legume breeder ARC/Sudan
11 Amel Adam Ibrahim Chickpea breeder ARC/Sudan
12 Hassan Al Awad Project coordinator ICARDA/Sudan
13 Khaled Abd El Moneam Aly
Legume breeder ARC/Egypt
14 Shahinda Mahmoud Legume pathologist ARC/Egypt
15 Kadry Mostafa Mohamed
Lentil breeder ARC/Egypt
16 Maher El-Maghraby Egyptian Joint Venture Farms project in Africa (for Cereals and legumes)
Ministry of Agriculture/Egypt
17 Moustafa Abdel Moneim Director of Legume program ARC/Egypt
18 Rehab Abdel Rahman Director of Sids station/Faba bean breeder ARC/Egypt
19 Hend Ghanem Faba bean Breeder ARC/Egypt
20 Hatem Aboutaleb Microbiologist/Bio-fertilization ARC/Egypt
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21 Shireen Assem Director of Agri. Engi. Res. Inst. (AGERI), ARC Egypt
ARC/Egypt
22 Maggie Habib Ambassador of FAO for the International Year of Pulses 2016
FAO/Egypt
23 Muhammad Dost FAO, Regional Plant production officer FAO/Egypt
24 Aladdin Hamwieh Chickpea breeder/Biotechnologist ICARDA/Syria
25 Clemens Breisinger Country program leader at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
IFPRI/Germany
26 Jose Luis Figueroa Associate Research Fellow IFPRI/Mexican
ANNEX-II: Program of the International Year of Pulses 2016
Regional Dialogue for Middle East Nile Valley and North Africa Samiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Cairo, Egypt, 2-3 November 2016
November 02, 2016
09:00-09.30 Registration
09:30-09:50 Introduction to Regional Dialogue for
MENA Aladdin Hamwieh/Mohammad Dost
09:50-10:00 Welcoming talk Magi Habib
10.00-10.30
Current pulse scenario in Middle East,
Nile Valley and North Africa Region:
Current constraints, successes and
future challenges
Fouad Maalouf
10:30-11:00 Coffee break.
11:00-11:30
Research Strategy for Pulses
Sufficiency in the Middle East, Nile
Valley and North Africa Region
Shiv Kumar Agrawal
11:30-12:00 Food security Clemens Breisinger
12:00-12:30
Suitability and Identification of Pulses
in Cropping Systems for Nutritional
Security, Better Livelihood and
Mitigation for Climate Change: Need
for on-farm experimentation and
minimum datasets for modelling for
out-scaling of the production system
Murari Singh
12:30-13:00 Pulse production in North Africa Mohammad Kharrat
13.00-14.00 Lunch
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14:00-14:15 Pulses contribution to sustainable
agriculture in a changing environment Aladdin Hamwieh
14:15-14:30 Legume-Biological nitrogen fixation Hatem Abo Taleb
14:30-14:45 Legume production in Lebanon:
challenges and demands Lebanese group
14:45-15:00 Legume production in Sudan:
challenges and demands Sudanese group
15:00-15:15 Legume production in Egypt:
challenges and demands Egyptian group
15:15-15:30 Coffee break
15:30-17:00 Plenary Discussion on Pulses problems,
solutions and producers Groups
November 03, 2016
09:00-10:00 Plenary Discussion (free talk)
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-12:00
Working group (Pulse production and
research: challenge, needs and
priorities)
12:00-13:00 Plenary - Working time for group
reporting and discussion
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Open recommendations of this
meeting
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-16:30 Closing the meeting
Important Notes (English/Arabic):
Hotel Samiramis Intercontinental Hotel:
El, Nile Corniche, Cairo Governorate 11511
Tel: +202 27988000
: سميراميسعنوان فندق
11511شارع كورنيش النيل، ميدان التحرير،محافظة القاهرة
27988000 202+رقم الهاتف:
Aladdin Hamwieh: Mobile: +2010-2600-9094
Yasmine Samy: Mobile: +2010-6882-7014
2010+-2600-9094 عالء الدين حموية )موبيل(:
2010+-6882-7014 :ياسمين سامي )موبيل(
ICARDA Cairo office: :مكتب اإليكاردا في القاهرة
ج شارع رضوان بن الطبيب، الجيزة 15
الطابق الحادي عشر، القاهرة. مصر
2416صندوق بريد:
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15 G. Radwan Ibn El-Tabib Street, Giza
11th Floor, P.O. Box 2416
Cairo, Egypt
Tel Office: +202-357-24358, 35829
202+-357-35829 ,24358هاتف:
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We wish you a nice stay in Cairo نتمنى لكم إقامة سعيدة في القاهرة
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