Food security begins with seed security

The National Seed System for Released Varieties (NSSRV) will provide the farming families of Timor-Leste with secure access to good quality seed. By using quality seed of the improved higher yielding varieties, farmers can benefit from the increased production of their major food crops.

The NSSRV was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in June 2013.

Benefits of the NSSRV

1. Farming families will have enough quality seeds of proven food crop varieties to plant each year, regardless of when the good planting rains occur.
2. The Timor-Leste Government can save money by not having to buy, store and distribute imported seed.
3. Farming families can avoid using seed of varieties not suited to local conditions.

• 

  The NSSRV will provide secure access to quality seed

• Servicing farmers with secure access to good seed of improved varieties comes from all components of the national seed system working well together

Components

1. Research & development – MAF identifies, selects and develops the superior varieties for official release, and produces breeder and foundation seed under highly controlled conditions on research stations.
2. Certified seed production – Contract growers multiply foundation seed of released varieties under close MAF Seed Department supervision to produce high-quality certified seed.
3. Commercial seed production – Registered CSP must use certified seed and follow NSSRV quality assurance Guidelines to produce large quantities of commercial seed that the Ministry, agricultural supply shops, NGOs, farmers and others can purchase with confidence in the quality assurance of Fini ba Moris brand name, now the brand of NSSRV.
4. Community seed production – CSPG are farmer groups which use certified or commercial seed to locally produce and properly store community seed for their members and other families in the community to use next season.

Good quality seed 

Is assured through:

1. Clear systems and procedures that guide the government and farmers in producing good quality seed
2. A quality assurance system built on capable staff and the properly equipped laboratories of the MAF Seed Department.