Between 2015 and 2020, KIT co-led, together with the Zambezi Valley Development Agency (ADVZ) the NUFFIC-financed project ‘Integrated Seed Sector Development, Mozambique’.

Educational & Seed Sector Development

In Mozambique, Agricultural Education and Training Institutes (AETI) have traditionally focused on seed production as part of breeding and agronomic programmes, but without a dedicated seed sector development discipline. Gaps therefore exist in understanding the position of farming households and their male and female members in access to different types of quality seed, as well as for all the seed value chain actors and related services.

This project aimed to develop the capacities of the Mozambican partners to develop, implement and maintain gender-sensitive educational agribusiness programmes and action-research programmes, focusing on the seed value chain in the country’s Zambezi Valley. Seven AETIs, the Wageningen Centre for Development innovation and the AERES Group were part of the consortium.

At the end of the project, the AETIs were able to deliver graduates (women and men), support seed business and extension services, and respond to the demands of the labour market in the seed and agribusiness sector in the region.

Knowledge & Training

Apart from providing project direction and coordination together with ADVZ, KIT provided knowledge and trained trainers about Integrated Seed Sector Development, supported the development of AETI business plans related to the seed sector, and carried out training of AETI staff on gender equity and equality in training and seed systems development in the Zambezi valley.

Further project links and documents: Zambezi Valley, Mozambique: Improved Capacity for Affordable Quality Seed Production and Utilization

About Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education (NICHE) programme

This project was a component of the Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education (NICHE) programme in Mozambique. NICHE focuses on the four policy priorities of Dutch development cooperation: food security, water, security and the rule of law, and women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). But NICHE also supports projects that help to strengthen higher education and technical vocational education and training (TVET) systems in partner countries. The NICHE programme is a grant programme administered by the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education (Nuffic) on behalf of the Dutch government.