Seychelles National Plant Genetic Resources Centre

 

 

 

Country Background

Seychelles is an archipelago occupying the Western part of the Indian Ocean between 4 and 10 degrees South of the Equator. 

 

The total land area: 455 Km² (45, 500 ha) with a distribution of 115 islands, 40 of which are granitic and the rest are coralline.

 

The climate is humid tropical with annual mean temperature of about 27ºC. Relative humidity is high at about 80% throughout the year and the average annual rainfall is 2350 mm.

 

Seychelles has a population of approximately 90,000 people.

 

Introduction

 

For the past five years (up to 2015), Seychelles has been participating in the SPGRC/NPGRCs annual review and planning meetings in order to gain experience and gather knowledge and best practice in order to setup its own Local Chapter.

 

Seychelles has faced lots of challenges till now to initiate work on its NPGRC. Despite the numerous difficulties it is still working and putting together all efforts possible to meet targets.

National Plant Genetic Resources Centre

The NPGRC Seychelles is still in its very early stage with an NPGRC being at the moment just an office maintained single-handedly by the Curator. 

 

Fortunately, the government has allocated land for the establishment of the NPGRC.The existing building being used by the Soil Laboratory will be dedicated for the genebank and the office of the Curator and Documentation Officer will be located at the Soil Diagnostic Laboratory.

 

By 2012, the NPGRC had secured Rs 400,000 (approx. $ 33,000) for its establishment including erection of the building. The NPGRC requested Rs. 3.7 million in 2013 year’s budget for the Soil/NPGRC. It has a full support of the Minister responsible on the matter.

 

Ongoing Project

The SAA through NPGRC is running the Indian Ocean Countries (IOC) project on “Agroecology” that is funded by IFAD and IOC. It is a regional Project with focus on knowledge sharing in the field of conservation Agriculture.

 

It is also implementing the ADB SDL/NPGRC project that was originally designed for setting up of the Soil Diagnostic Laboratory but since the SDL will share the same location with the NPGRC. This will also cater for the establishment of the NPGRC.

 

Finally, the SPGRC is also implementing the SLM Project (UNDP/GEF).

 

Proposed Projects

The NPGRC intends to establish Every Home a Garden demonstration plot with potential funding through UNDP/GEF Grant. This project will have two phases with Phase accomplishing fencing of acquired land, design and cultivation of local and neglected food crops; the Phase 2 will include promotion through Field Day. This will be implemented in close collaboration with tourism industry.

 

The NPGRC will also implement an IFAD funded project for SDL and NPGRC.

 

 

Salient Achievements

The NPGRC can boast of having acquired land for the Centre and has attracted a budget to support the initiative alongside the SDL.

 

Within few years of its establishment, the NPGRC has benefitted from training in SDIS by the SPGRC Documentation staff; has an established and fully functional NPGRCom that coordinate discussion and policy formulation and guidance.

 

Meeting with government high officials to discuss explain the significance of the project with regard to national and regional food Security has been achieved and attracted political support.

 

Included in PGR activities in IOC Agroecology Project are distribution and Sale PGR (Fruit trees and Root Crop), and operation of the tropical fruit nursery and the root crop unit through government budget to supply local demand.

 

The SAA continues with its effort to promote the “Every Home a Garden” campaign in which we are encouraging members of the public to conserve traditional food crop in their home garden.

 

Challenges

• Infrastructural setup: hope to resolve the problem by 2016.
• Staffing: Miss Oreddy will assist with Documentation but there is still no trained personal in PGR management. The NPGRC is still an office being maintained by the Acting Curator.
• Training: BSc. MSc and Short Course in PGR Management
• Funding: The NPGRC is now having the support of the government and hope that things will improve from year 2016 onwards.
• National Priorities: SAA has been Preoccupied with problem such as high influx in importation.
• Presidential Election and Indian Ocean Games.

 

Staffing

There is only one staff at the NPGRC for now, but slowly is having the help of Miss Oreddy with Documentation duties. One recruitment was approved for 2011 and the NPGRC is engaging NGO and other individual to handle most of the ground work.

 

The established NPGRCom is envisaged to help guiding the activities of the NPGRC.

 

National Plant Genetic Resources Committee (NPGRCom)

The committee was finally appointed comprising of 7 members. The composition is as follows:

• Chairperson (SPGRC Board Member)
• Vice-Chairperson (Curator)
• Secretary (Seychelles Agricultural Authority - SAA)
• ITPGRFA National Focal Point
• SFS (Sustainability for Seychelles)
• Mr. Jose Lausteau Lalanne

The Committee is mandated to formulate and take decision on the daily operation of the NPGRC.