
Project Title |
Farmer-led Scaling-up of Conservation Agriculture |
Convening Partners
|
SACAU NORAD ( Norwegian Agency for Development) |
Collaborating Partner |
Ministry Of Agriculture |
Strategic Partners |
Sustainable Agriculture Trust |
Target Location (s)for Pilot
|
|
Target Number |
4000 farmers |
Timeframe |
May 2013-June 2016 |
Baseline:
- Average yields for maize less than 1 ton per ha
- Practice of CA only practiced by beneficiaries of free inputs from donor humanitarian assistance.
- Drudgery due to the the use of the hand hoe as primary tool of CA [ land prep, planting and weeding]
- Zero usage of herbicides as an efficient, cheaper and time saving weed management technology option.
- Lack of appreciation of the advantages of CA by communal smallholder farmers
Implementation Approach
- 50 School-based Young Farmers Clubs (YFCs) Demo Plots + 40 Community Demo plots supported – working with farmers from community (appr. 80 farmers each ~ total 4000 farmers organised into CA Clubs)
- Community equipment rings as an economic way to improve access to CA implements including ox-drawn equipment.
- High level of stakeholder involvement to improve access to inputs and services and ensure sustainability of intervention.
Key Activities
Awareness &Training
- Targeted all lead farmers, Agric teachers, Extension Staff, intensive, field based
- What is CA, Why CA
- CA principles
- Mechanized CA
- Competency in using CA equipment
- Good crop husbandry – land prep, planting, fertilizer application, weed control (herbicide use), mulching, rotations, multi-cropping, crop associations
- Demo plot layout
Achievements :
- High levels of appreciation of CA principles by smallholder farmers
- High quality demos, exceptional crop stands
- Vibrant, passionate, proud CA groups, YFCs
- Intense farmer to farmer learning and exchange
- Active participation of women, highly motivated in mechanized CA
- Close interaction between School YFCs and communities
- Early uptake of CA by smallholder farmers [ ~ 2000ha]
- Strong partnerships with agribusiness i.e seed and implement suppliers
- Efficient use of inputs
- Improved yields [ from 1ton/ha to 3-4 tons /ha]
Challenges :
- High cost of inputs (improved seed, fertilisers, herbicides)
- Lack of adequate resources for
- the necessary investments e.g. drip irrigation kits, implements
- Scaling-up the project to other regions
- Lack of established, effective extension system to build onto