A Review of Policy Constraints and Opportunities for the Sustainable Delivery of Quality Fruit Tree Germplasm in Vietnam

Seedlings of high genetic and physical quality are crucial for effective and sustainable crop production by smallholders in Vietnam. Unfortunately, farmers have little access to quality fruit germplasm and often buy poor quality seedlings. This paper is a review of the current fruit-tree germplasm pathways, germplasm policies, and the opportunities and constraints of those policies. It also provides recommendations to strengthen the management of germplasm. In Vietnam, seed and seedling supply is managed through an insufficient centralized State system, especially at district and commune level. This leads to a situation where fruit-tree seedlings of poor and unknown origin are produced and distributed in many places. Lack of resources, low capacity, and weak law enforcement present major barriers. Fruit-tree germplasm is produced and distributed by formal (FS) and informal (IFS) production and supply systems. The FS, including state-owned institutions and registered private entities, supplies between 10% and 15% of seedlings. The balance, majority of seedlings, is provided through IFS smallholder seedling producers and businesses. A large percentage of these smallholder producers are unable to comply with the requirements necessary for a seedling business and measures designed to strengthen the farmerproducers are limited. Germplasm policies focus mainly on the development of new plant varieties, while quality control of seed and seedlings is neglected. Improvement of the current regulations and implementation at local level, as well as stricter and decentralized seedling management combined with appropriate measures to strengthen the role of smallholder seedling producers are key to sustainable delivery of quality fruit-tree germplasm

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