Accelerating Agriculture and Agribusiness in South Sudan for Enhanced Economic Development (A3 SEED) A3 SEED project is a five year (2021 to 2025) project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Juba.
A3 SEED aims to provide market-oriented interventions to move from humanitarian support to a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector.
A3 SEED seeks to reach more than 100,000 farming households that will see a doubling of income from marketable surpluses of targeted commodities, thereby improving livelihoods.In order to expand on EKN’s seed sector and agribusiness interventions in South Sudan, A3-SEED aims to move the seed sector from humanitarian support to a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector. A3-SEED ensures the availability of improved seed down to the last mile through agri-entrepreneurship and support of existing private-sector seed companies. The project improves seed and input marketing, distribution, and production practices. Additionally, A3-SEED supports the emergence of individual commercial seed producers that produce for the local market and/or are out growers for a seed company. Expected Outcomes
More than 100,000 farming households will see a doubling of income from marketable surpluses of targeted commodities, improving their livelihoods.
Over 50,000 directly and 50,000 indirectly trained farmers will realize 50% and 20% yield increases, respectively, of targeted commodities.
Development of 100 agro-dealers, 200 new businesses owned or managed by women, and 200 businesses owned or managed by youth will be facilitated.
Over 42,000 hectares of farmland under agroecological production and improved farming practices will become more resilient to shocks.
50% of relief seed will be procured locally, coordinated through the Seed Trade Association of South Sudan (STASS). A3-SEED targets semi-commercial and commercial farmers, as well as pre-commercial farmers who are at the cusp of engaging more intensively with markets, i.e., through the push- pull design of A3-SEED interventions, who could purchase inputs and those who already are selling or who have the potential to sell surplus to the market. A3-SEED does not target subsistence farmers directly but will build synergies with humanitarian programs in target areas to potentially work with “graduates” who are ready to make the transition to pre-commercial farming. Priority will be given to farmers who have returned after fleeing the community or the country due to insecurity.