SMALL FARM RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: INNOVATION FOR TRANSFORMATION OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF NUTRITION AND INCOMES

Transcription

1 SMALL FARM RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: INNOVATION FOR TRANSFORMATION OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF NUTRITION AND INCOMES Tagwira,F. and M. Tagwira Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe

2 presentation Introduction SFRDP at Africa University Mushroom Project Grain Amaranth Project Rabbit project Conclusion

3 introduction 1. Poverty and food and nutrition insecurity and vulnerability are major challenges for Zimbabwe and sub-saharan Africa. 2. Burden of hunger is at two levels; energy deficiency and specific nutrient deficiencies % of Africa s burden of child disease is caused by under nutrition. 4. Most poor live in rural areas where they depend on agriculture.

4 introduction 1. At the family level women and children are the most marginalised. 2. Child headed households are the most vulnerable 3. Innovations and out of the box thinking are required to reverse the poverty, food and malnutrition insecurity.

5 Nutrition in child headed households is a challenge

6 Skills and technologies If rural communities are to improve, the farmer needs to be empowered with skills, technologies and resources to increase production, add value and market their commodities. Universities must be more relevant to the needs of the communities they live in.

7 University/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT African universities need to develop strong community engagement programs that support the smallholder farmers. Technologies generated by the Universities must be distilled, adapted and disseminated to the farmers who need them. Universities must be visible at different stages of the agricultural value chain.

8 Early adopter farmers will get the opportunity to come and sample the various technologies available. Eg. Beekeeping, fish farming, value addition etc. SFRDP Africa University tackling this challenge by developing a Small Farm Resource Development Project (SFRDP) that will support farmers in skills development and technologies. The SFRDP will be a source of innovations, information, technologies and farming resources. It will also be a source of planting materials and seeds for climate resilient indigenous crops and plants.

9 SFRDP Best bet technologies selected by farmers will be extended to the communities. Staff and students of AU Agriculture will have a chance to work with farmers in chosen communities.

10 Africa university AU was set up to assist the nations of Africa to achieve their educational and developmental goals. The University wants to become more relevant to the needs of small plot farmers. AU has success stories with small farmers which it hopes to build on. Mushroom project, Agribusiness Management training, Grain Amaranth and Rabbit Projects were carried in last few years.

11 SFRDP SFRDP will develop, adapt, evaluate and help implement best bet technologies. The technologies will be chosen through a participatory processes to make sure they are relevant to identified needs of smallholder farmers. The best bet agriculture technologies will be demonstrated at the University and at farms near communities. The SFRDP will be a living laboratory. AU interacting directly with farmers and other stakeholders.

12 SFRDP Project objective Adding value to smallholder farming through developing, adapting and demonstrating best bet technologies to innovator farmers.

13 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Participatory identification of farmer needs and strategic technologies. Refining the technologies to suit the needs of the farmers. Extending technologies to early adopter farmers. Supporting innovator farmers to setup community demonstration sites which are used to train fellow farmers. Creating platform for farmer, students, staff and other stakeholder to interactions.

14 PREVIOUS EFFORTS THAT INSPIRED THE SFRDP

15 Mushroom Production AU adapted oyster mushroom production technologies for rural communities in Africa. a) Developed local methods of producing and culturing oyster mushroom spawn. b) Screened various locally-sourced substrates to come up with substrates with highest biological efficiency. c) Developed easy to construct mushroom houses. d) Packaged the technology into training modules.

16 Mushroom project Trained trainers from Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Gambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Benin. Training farmers, extension agents and NGOs in Zimbabwe. Through AU efforts, oyster mushrooms production is now wide spread in urban areas and villages. This has been a successful demand driven technology.

17 Mushroom produced from agricultural waste

18

19 Grain amaranth project Grain amaranth is a nutritious crop which contains most of the nutrients required by the body. The crop has its origins in South America. About 20 years ago the crop was introduced to Zimbabwe through the efforts of USA citizen and friend of Africa University, Mr Dick Dugger.

20 Project Objective The objectives was to improve food security, human nutrition, health and incomes of rural communities through the adoption of amaranth in the farming system.

21 Why Grain Amaranth Has high quality protein and remarkable essential amino acid balance. Excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Contains lysine, methionine, tryptophan and oleic and linoleic acids that help prevent cold sores, reduce disease infection and boost the body s immune system. Has twice the lysine content of wheat and three times that of maize.

22 WHY AMARANTH Mixed with maize flour amaranth will meet most of the body s nutritional requirements. Has more dietary fibre than wheat, maize, rice or soybeans. Its high protein biomass means its a good animal feed. A hectare of grain amaranth can produce up to 150 tons of biomass.

23 Economic Benefits for rural family Provide households with an alternative source of income. Reducing risks of income loss and fluctuations, including who controls the income as grain amaranth can also be grown as a garden crop by women. As a drought tolerant crop, amaranth is good for climate change resilience. Good food security as the grain can be stored for over 10 years with no grain storage chemicals.

24 Composition of grains (USDA Handbook #8, NRC 1984) Grain type Protein (%) Lysine (%) Carboh ydrate (%) Calcium (mg/100g) Iron (mg/100g) Phosp horus (mg/100g) Amaranth Corn Wheat Rice Milk trace 93

25 Work done Africa University supported the following amaranth adaptation research and outreach activities in Zimbabwe. a) Production of seed and agronomic recommendations b) Dev. of appropriate harvesting and thrashing techniques c) Dev. of local food recipes. d) Production of training and marketing materials e) Training of trainers. Several farmers now grow some amaranth for their consumption. NGOs & Health Officials now encourage amaranth food.

26 Grain Amaranth

27

28

29

30

31 training

32

33 Field day

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41 Rabbit production The University started a rabbit breeding stock production project. Farmers and NGOs are able to purchase breeding stock from AU. Project is empowering farmers and communities with sources of both income and protein for the family. Constant requests for breeding stock are received by the University.

42

43 focus The focus of the work done so far has been skills building for: Food and nutrition security Improving rural incomes, and Rural women who carry the burden of securing vegetable and protein for the family.

44 conclusion The SFRDP will: Help improve food production, nutrition and household incomes in rural communities in Zimbabwe. Help AU be a model for community engagement among African Universities. It will Create a living laboratory where AU staff and students constantly interact with smallholder famers. This will also enrich teaching and research. HELP AU live its mandate of helping the nations of Africa archive their educational and development goals.

45 THANK YOU