Rural Youth Employment Activities in Malawi - Assessment Report -

Transcription

1 Rural Youth Employment Activities in Malawi - Assessment Report - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM)

2 Table of contents Acknowledgments 3 Acronyms 4 1. Brief overview 5 2. Rational Assessment methodology 6 3. Results Individual questionnaires results Socio-economic characteristics of the households 7 4. Focus groups discussions findings Conclusions 19

3 Acknowledgments This report is a joint effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Malawi and the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM). The methodology used to carry out the assessments and the report have been developed by Francesca Dalla Valle, from FAO s Social Protection Division (ESP) in collaboration with Dorcas Adongo, Lusekero Mwanyongo and Andrew Namakhoma from NASFAM s Monitoring and Evaluation and Community Development Units respectively. Special thanks are due to Florence Rolle, FAO Representative for Malawi and Norah Mwamadi, FAO National Coordinator in Malawi, colleagues from the Decent Rural Employment Team in ESP, the FAO s Economics and Policy Innovations for Climate-Smart Agriculture (EPIC) programme and the Climate, Energy and Tenure Division (NRC) for providing inputs for the design of the questionnaires in terms of climate change issues.

4 Acronyms AIDS AMC EPA EPIC CC FAO FUM FGD HIV HH JFFLS MoAFS NAC NASFAM Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Association Management Centre Extension Planning Area Economics and Policy Innovations for Climate-Smart Agriculture (programme) Climate change Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Farmers Union of Malawi Focus Group Discussions Human Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome Household Junior Farmers Field and Life Schools Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security National Aids Commission National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi

5 1. Brief overview Malawi presents severe employment challenges, in particular for youth, coupled with widespread poverty levels. In fact, the country is one of the world s poorest countries in the world, presently 74 percent of the total population living in poverty 1. The country economy is predominantly agricultural, with about percent of the population living in rural areas, the agro sector is contributing to 90 percent of the export earnings and 30 percent of the GDP 3. Malawi s real GDP growth was 5 percent in 2013 and is projected to accelerate to 6.1 percent and 6.2 percent in 2014 and 2015 respectively, driven by tobacco exports and continued growth in the key sectors of agriculture, manufacturing and services 4. The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS II, ), identifies nine key priority areas and youth development and empowerment is one of them along with agriculture and food security as a prerequisite for economic growth and wealth creation. One of the main key constraints to the achievement of the objective of improving agriculture and food and nutrition security in the country has been identified as the lack of an adequate involvement and consideration of youth in the sector 5. Furthermore, the Malawi s National Youth Policy 6 stresses that the agricultural sector continues to lose its significance due to land pressure, while the labour market in the industrial and social sectors remains small, directly contributing to an increase in the rural - urban migration, as well as an increasing rate of unemployment and underemployment among young people. The country has an Employment Act (No. 6 of 2000) with a specific section for youth highlighting the rules that forbid the employment of young people below the legal working age 7 (therefore children) but in general the Act does not extend much its operations to the informal sector which is predominately found in the agriculture sector 8. Youth unemployment remains a challenge in Malawi in both the formal and informal sectors. Official statistics show that only 2.7 percent of those aged years have no job 10. However, a person who works at least one hour per week in the country, is officially classified as employed and therefore the figures do not capture the real situation. Underemployment is prevalent, especially in the agricultural sector that accounts for 80 percent of the labour force, and working poverty is high due to low wages - the minimum wage is less than USD 1 per day. The unemployment problem is also compounded by poor data, the absence of an up to date youth policy and a lack of coherent government action and weak institutional capacity for skills development. In addition, the economy is failing to produce enough jobs for a fast growing population given its low manufacturing base and the low skills base of the labour force. 1 World Bank Poverty headcount ratio at $1.25 a day (PPP) 2 WDI African Development Bank Malawi Economic Outlook Agriculture Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) In Malawi the legal working age is UN youth age frame definition 10 OECD 2012

6 2. Rational Since 1994 the government of Malawi enhanced its commitment in developing effective youth participation. The development of the youth policy was a remarkable achievement, which opened the path to the establishment of approximately 100 youth NGO s and about 3,000 youth clubs 11 in HIV and AIDS, Human Rights and Gender advocacy across Malawi. In line with Malawi s Government priorities and its agenda for youth development, from 2010, the FAO channelled efforts and activities towards out of school youth who cannot be absorbed in the labour market, mainly focusing on their inclusion in agribusiness while enhancing their decent employment opportunities. During 2010, 60 youth from Thyolo, Mzimba, Mangochi and Mchinji were trained through the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The challenge assessed during that initial part of the activities was mainly on monitoring and sustaining the activity after the training. From 2011, FAO s main partners in specific rural youth employment activities were the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) and the Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM), where the two organisations supported monitoring activities and provision of resources at community level while also facilitating their access to markets. The main objectives requested by the Malawi s Government through these activities were to: i) equip young farmers aged with agricultural skills to boost agricultural production, ii) train participants to be facilitators to fellow young producers in their communities while teaching them about new ways of doing agro business, and, iii) build youth capacities on record keeping and business management, among other topics. The main objectives of the assessment 12 undertaken by FAO and NASFAM in Malawi were: i) to assess the impact of agriculture on the youth; ii) to understand the youth perception on the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) methodology; iii) to assess the utilization of the skills gained by the facilitators; iv) to better understand the youth perception of agriculture and its potential in terms of employment opportunity. 2.1 Assessment methodology Sampling, data collection and analysis. From , the JFFLS trained 34 youth identified through NASFAM within their affiliated cooperatives. To conduct this assessment, sampling of study participants was done at facilitators level and at young producers level. For the individual questionnaires, 32 percent of these facilitators (11 facilitators) were sampled from the following 9 Association Management Centres (AMCs): Lilongwe North, Rumphi, Karonga, Namwera, Nkhotakota, Zikometso, South Mzimba and 2 in Zomba and Lilongwe South. Since being trained, these youth have taken the next step to train young peers in their communities. For the focus group discussions, groups of 10 to 15 youth were sampled in each of the 9 AMCs, proportionate to the total by village or Extension Planning Area (EPA) trained, totaling to 23 groups with both female and male young producers. Data collection was also done at two levels. At the first level, a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to facilitators. At the second level, a checklist was used in the focus group discussions (FGDs) to gather qualitative data on the perceptions of the junior farmers, with the male and female young producers taking part in separate group discussions. Focus group discussions were used to understand youth in-depth views, experiences and perceptions regarding the JFFLS. During the FGDs, notes were taken by a moderator, who made sure that all 11 Dealing with various issues such as HIV and AIDS, human rights etc 12 Data collection for this report was undertaken in

7 participants had equal opportunity to share comments, and where necessary, provided follow up questions to get further clarifications. Individual questionnaire response data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The analysis process for the FGDs included the development of summaries of the discussions and FGDs data grouping were then labeled/coded and categorized to create themes. 3. Results 3.1 Individual questionnaires results Respondents characteristics. The respondents characteristics that were evaluated include gender, age and marital status. Six of the respondents (facilitators) were female and five were male. The average age was Ten respondents were married and one was single, as presented below. Gender Average age Number of respondents Marital status Married Single Male Female Overall Household head characteristics. The type of household (HH) head has a significant influence on HHs decisions regarding new farming techniques, choice of crops and income use. Ten of the HHs were headed by males, and only 1 was headed by a female. The average age of the HH heads was 33, implying that the HHs were mainly headed by youth, and were within the economically active age group in the agricultural sector. Table 2 presents the findings, showing that nine of the HHs heads had education levels up to secondary education, and all could read and write. The occupation of most HHs heads was farming. HH head gender # Mean age of the HH Educational level of HH head HH heads able to read and write Main occupation of the HH head Primary school (5-8) Secondary school (yes) Farmer Business (other kind) Electrician Male Female Totals Socio-economic characteristics of the household Household size and average age. The average number of members per HH was four, with an equal average number of males and females. The average age of the HH members was 20, with 54 percent aged 18 years and above. 21 percent of these members were wives to the HH heads. Children aged 0-14 years constituted the 7

8 remaining 46 percent of HH members. 88 percent of the HH members rarely experience health problems, while 12 percent mentioned experiencing health problems more often. This is also evident in family expenditures (table 4), which show that on average most families spend less than Malawian Kwacha (MK) (approx USD 23) on annual health expenses. Regarding occupations, the results show that 46 percent of HH members were employed in farming, 33 percent were school-aged children, 15 percent were too young to be involved in either farming or school, and the remaining 6 percent were engaged in casual labour and own non-agriculture business. An equal number of boys and girls in the HHs were attending school, with the majority of them in lower-level primary school. The average age of boys attending primary school level 1-4 was 12, whereas of the corresponding average age for girls was 8. There was no significant difference in the mean age among those attending primary level 5-8. The results show that the boys in these HHs seem to either start schooling too late, or spend a lot of their time engaging in other nonschool activities. Migration. In respect of migration, only 2 individuals had migrated and both had moved to South Africa. One migration was permanent, while the other was circular 13. The individual who had migrated permanently does send remittances to family once a year (amounting approx to USD 160) which the HH members use towards building a new property. The individual involved in circular migration sends monthly remittances of approx USD 55, which the family uses for food expenditures. Physical asset ownership. HHs access to and ownership of assets highly influences their ability to take part in productive work, while also indicating HHs wealth status. Some of the equipment and materials examined included: watering jars, motor pumps, car batteries, radio, television, bicycle, motorcycle, cattle, oxcart and car/truck. In terms of ownership, the equipment was owned by both male and female facilitators, there was no major difference in the number owned between the two. Equipment owned Kind of equipment owned at HH level Water jar (200 ml up) # of respondents owning equipment Average # owned Male Female Total Male Female Motor pump Car battery Radio / cassette player Television Bicycle Motorcycle Car / truck Cattle Oxcart Circular migration is the temporary movement and usually repetitive movement of a worker between home and host areas for the purpose of employment. It represents an established of population mobility, whether cross-country or rural-urban. 8

9 Type of housing. Type of housing is indicative of a HH s wealth in most farming communities. Wealthier farmers / producers tend to own bigger and more permanent houses. In this study, 10 of 11 facilitators owned houses, built on own land. Male-owned houses averaged 51.1 square meters in size, and the corresponding figure for female-owned houses was 38 square meters. Six of the facilitators had fairly good permanent housing built of bricks, iron sheet roofs and cement floors. Four had grass-thatched roofs and un-burnt brick/mud wall houses, whereas one 20 years old facilitator had a semi-permanent house built of wooden walls, and a grass-thatched and mud floor. These findings seem to indicate that the male-headed HHs are better placed economically compared to those headed by females, males also reported higher incomes from crop and livestock sales. Land ownership and use. Most of the land owned by the facilitators at homestead, distant upland or wetland was inherited. The majority of the facilitators owned an average of 2 acres on distant upland, 0.25 acres at homestead and 1 acre in the wetlands. Male-headed HHs generally owned own more land (3.6 acres) compared to the femaleheaded HHs (2.55 acres). Distant upland and wetlands were mainly used for crop production, supporting the finding that these facilitators mainly occupied themselves with farming activities and are well placed to apply the skills they had acquired through JFFLS training while also being able to use their own farms to demonstrate good agricultural practices to other youth in their communities. Areas prone to flooding in Malawi are often seriously affected when there is heavy rainfall, resulting in poor crop yields, and loss of property and life. The distant high upland farms were less prone to flooding, making them ideal for farming during the rainy season, whereas those within the medium and lowlands experienced flooding in the years when they receive heavy rains. In the wetlands, all facilitators who had farm land mentioned that flooding was an annual occurrence in the low lands. Therefore, farming in these low lands is often done during the winter season. On the homestead farms, flooding manly occurred in the low land and never occurred in the high land. There were more incidences of flooding in the lower wetlands than elsewhere. Income Sources. Agriculture production is practiced by the majority of the rural HHs. More than 80 percent of people in Malawi derive their livelihood from livestock and crop production. 80 percent of the facilitators interviewed mentioned that their main occupation was farming. Crop production is more prominent than livestock production in most parts of the country. Livestock Production. Nine of the 11 facilitators were rearing chicken and goats for sale. On average, the individuals kept 12 chickens and 6 goats, and sold an average of 10 birds and 3 goats annually. The average income generated from the sale of chickens was MK 15,000 (approx USD 35), and MK 26,000 (approx USD 60) from the sale of goats. The female facilitators sold more chickens (on average 11) and made an average income of MK 13,000 (approx USD 30), while the men sold fewer (on average 9), but made about MK 16,850 (approx USD 39) from their sales, therefore more money out of the sales. This could be attributed to the fact that men have the ability to move their products to better markets where they can fetch higher prices, whereas women often opt to sell within closed and local markets due to time constraints because of family duties, lack of market information and / or lack of transport. Pigs as an economic opportunity fetched better incomes per animal sold with MK 35,000 (approx USD 81), having said that, they were not reared by most of the facilitators, and those who did only sold one per year. Apart from income generation, livestock production was also mentioned by most as a source of food (protein), while also providing the farmers with manure for improving their soils. Challenges in livestock rearing. Livestock diseases were pointed out as a major challenge by all who reared livestock. Three of the facilitators also mentioned predators as a challenge. Other minor challenges included poor 9

10 reproduction, theft and lack of feeding / grazing land. Despite these challenges, 8 of the facilitators mentioned that they had realized an increase in their livestock production due to better animal husbandry practices, and that they were selling more animals over time. Crop production. Crops remain the major source of livelihoods for the interviewed individuals and their communities. In general in Malawi one of the main incomes come from the sale of tobacco, followed by maize, tobacco, groundnuts, soya beans and beans. Most of the income was earned from sale of tobacco. The JFFLS were also initiated to introduce different crops and therefore diversify the HHs economic opportunities. It has been assessed that male farmers earned an average net income of MK 105,100 (approx USD 240) selling maize, while female facilitators earned on average MK 84,175 (approx USD 194). When comparing incomes earned at the HH, the data suggests that male-headed HHs got their incomes from several crops, allowing them to earn a higher net income, whereas the female-headed HHs only generated income from the sale of groundnuts and soya. Access to and control of resources at the HH level is reportedly dominated by adult males in many communities across Africa, where patriarchal cultures are relatively common. Indeed, the results of this study indicate that it was mainly the adult male member of the HH who took the central role in the sale of agricultural products. Challenges in crop production. Inadequate capital was the of the most common constraints faced by facilitators. This was followed by a lack of inputs such as fertilizer, seed and pesticides, and lastly by a lack of land. Other constraints included the effects of climate change such as erratic rains / unreliable rainfall. Despite these constraints, 8 of the facilitators mentioned that they had realized better yields, were reinvesting more in their farming businesses, and were also accessing farm input loans. Non-agricultural products. The facilitators other income-generating activities included selling fuel (diesel and petrol), which was being done by one HH that earned a net income of MK 500,000 per year (approx USD 1,153). Another HH had set up an agro-dealer shop earning an income of MK 40,000 (approx USD 92). Two other HHs were involved in baking pastries (mandazi) which generated on average MK 3,500 per week (approx USD 96). One of these 2 HHs was also engaged in tinsmith work, generating MK 5,000 per week (approx USD 11). Apart from the baking of pastries, the activities reported were mainly done by the adult male member of the HH. Income trends and expenditures. The income trends over a 12 months period showed that from December to March, both male and female facilitators experienced a decrease in their income from crops and livestock productions. From the month of April, they started to realize medium increases in income. From June until August, HHs experienced high increases in income. Incomes then normalized until November, when they started to decline once again. This trend supports the finding that these facilitators were mainly occupied in farming. When the HHs experienced decreases in their incomes, 3 of them resorted to selling livestock, one HH (member) accepted casual labour while another HH relied on remittances and sold tins. The remaining ones borrowed money. Most of the income earned by the HHs was spent on food items such as maize, meat and vegetables. Clothing was second highest category of expenses, followed by weddings and celebrations. From the below table it is evident that most of the HHs did not invest their income in economic activities, nor did they allocate much to purchasing agricultural equipment. These results could indicate that most of the young facilitators were not economically stable, and that most of their income was needed to sustain their consumption. 10

11 Sex Light/paraffin /candles Water Insuran ce Annual family utilities and other expenditures Maizeexpens Meat Vegetab Clothing Equip les ment es Edu Health Wedding / celebratio ns Reinvestme nt in economi c activities Male N M e a n 5, ,200 33,640 44,000 38,000 3,933 9,996 9,950 13, ,000 Fema N le M e a n 11, ,000 51,633 48,967 11,800 33,000 3,140 10,000 11,000 25,000 Total , ,000 50,527 41,303 26,436 35,500 3,537 9,996 9,971 12,600 87,500 Facilitators perception on climate change. The facilitators shared their perceptions on some of the effects of climate change they have been experiencing over the past 10 years. Nine of the respondents had noticed changes in average temperatures, with 7 of them having perceived an increase and 2 others a decrease. Eight of the facilitators noticed rainfall variability, including more erratic rains, late onsets, heavy down pours and longer drought periods. Crop failure (at least 50 percent of total expected crop) was the 3 rd challenge mentioned by 7 facilitators, followed closely by the loss of livestock due to diseases. Adaptation measures taken up by the facilitators in their crop and livestock production included the use of cover crop / incorporation of crop residue, changing crop variety and implementing soil and water conservation. However, these interventions were impeded by challenges such as a shortage of labour, a shortage of farm inputs, and a lack of information on climate and appropriate adaptation measures. Trainings. The facilitators were trained by MoAFS and NASFAM staff. The major areas mentioned in this assessment were livestock and crop production, business skills, climate change adaptation and mitigation, gender equality, diseases mitigation and protection. In livestock and crop production the subject area covered included maize, rice, groundnuts, soya and cassava production, mixed cropping, sasakawa, and pest and diseases control. The facilitators interviewed mentioned that as a result of the trainings their knowledge of crop production had improved, were utilizing better agricultural practices, and were also realizing better yields. Regarding livestock production, only 2 facilitators mentioned that they had received training on pest and disease control for cattle and goats, and only 1 of them had actually managed to improve his production. Regarding protection, 2 facilitators trained mentioned that they advocated within their communities in order to prevent children labour in farming families, which had resulted in more children going school and a reduction of children being used as labourers in their village. In respect of gender equality, 3 facilitators mentioned that being trained in gender equality led to equal in distribution of resources and leadership with their HHs. Most of the facilitators also highlighted the need to improve their skills in livestock production and irrigation farming, and increase the frequency of trainings. After attending the trainings, the facilitators were suppose to mobilize youth and train them in the new learned agro business techniques. A total of 301 JFFLS youth (152 young women and 149 young men) had been trained by the 11 facilitators in the 9 AMCs. 11

12 AMC Number of youth trained Young women Trainings conducted by the facilitators Young Men Main subjects taken on by the facilitators in their associations, cooperatives and communities Lilongwe North 7 8 Crop production, diseases (HIV and AIDS, etc), climate change, gender Lilongwe South 6 4 Crop production, diseases (HIV and AIDS, etc), climate change, gender Rumphi Crop and livestock production, protection (child labour prevention, etc) and diseases (HIV and AIDS, etc) Reported effects of training activities on youth Enhanced knowledge on good agricultural practices Higher yields Enhanced knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission Better knowledge of farming as a business Enhanced record keeping and good agricultural practices Bumper harvest Improved agriculture skills Better yield Improved soil fertility Karonga 8 8 Crop and livestock production Improved their livelihoods and self reliance Namwera Crop production Improved yields and enhanced self reliance Nkhotakota diseases (HIV and AIDS, etc), gender South Mzimba Crop production, protection (child labour prevention, etc) Improved their livelihoods Enhanced knowledge on good agricultural practices Higher economic incomes Enhanced knowledge on good agricultural practices Zikometso Crop production Improved their farming skills Zomba Crop production, diseases (HIV and AIDS, etc), climate change, gender Enhanced knowledge on good agricultural practices Organizations present in the facilitators districts. NASFAM was mentioned by 9 of the facilitators as the main organization working in their area that offered services in terms of crop production, conservation agriculture, gender equality, diseases prevention (HIV and AIDS, etc) and adult literacy with the aim of increasing crop production and diversification and increasing knowledge of the youth in good agricultural practices. Other organizations mentioned include the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS), which offered services in crop production, conservation agriculture and gender equality issues. The National Aids Council (NAC) was also present in the areas, educating people on HIV and AIDS prevention. Further other organizations mentioned in the districts were: FAO, World Vision and other smaller ones. 12

13 Organization # of resp. mentioning the org. Male Female Activities promoted by the org. NASFAM 4 5 Conservation agriculture, crop production, gender equality, HIV and AIDS, adult literacy Target group Youth NAC 2 1 HIV and AIDS Adult and youth Ministry of Agriculture 1 1 Crop production, conservation agriculture, gender equality FAO 1 1 Crop production, food and nutrition security, human rights World Vision 1 1 Irrigation farming, HIV and AIDS prevention Youth Youth Adult and youth Aim Upscale production, crop diversification, enhance young producers capacities Prevent and mitigate HIV and AIDS Large scale production, enhance farmers capacities Enhance young producers capacities Upscale irrigation farming Potential activities to be included or strengthened Follow up trainings, poultry farming, livestock production, irrigation farming Continue current projects Increased trainings for facilitators Continue current projects Continue current projects Potential actor responsible for follow up NASFAM and extension officers Facilitators NASFAM NASFAM, facilitators World Vision 4. Focus group discussions findings This part of the report highlights issues that arose during discussions held with the young producers from various NASFAM cooperatives / associations that have been trained using the Junior Farmers Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) techniques and are re-training other young peers. The section covers issues such as trainings received, the implementation of the JFFLS and challenges associated with agricultural and business activities, interest in furthering agricultural activities, perceptions of agriculture, perceptions about the JFFLS, and participants experiences in terms of climate change. Trainings conducted by young facilitators in their districts. The majority of the male and female young farmers from all targeted Association Management Centres (AMCs) mentioned that they have been trained in various fields through the trainings organized and facilitated by their facilitators. Both agriculture (crop production), agro business and cross-cutting issues like climate change and diseases prevention (HIV and AIDS, etc) were the major topics taken on and covered during trainings in most AMCs. In associations like Lwasozi and Mpherembe in Mzimba and Rumphi AMCs, gender and business skills were chosen as additional subjects to be trained on by the facilitators. In Rumphi AMC, child labour prevention was the additional subject chosen. Areas like hygiene and sanitation were among the additional subjects chosen by the young farmers in Nkhotakota, Zomba and Lilongwe South AMCs. Those from Zikometso (Thyolo zone), Zomba and Mangochi chose as additional subjects, nutrition and life skills. Crosscutting issues such as HIV and AIDS were not chosen in Nkhotakota, Mangochi and Zomba. In Mzimba AMC, young farmers chose only crop production as the main and only subject. Both male and female young farmers in almost all AMCs mentioned that the trainings were helpful, as they acquired productive skills and knowledge in various fields that will help improve their living standards. In most associations, the youth enhanced their knowledge about soil conservation and production techniques such as conservation agriculture, 13

14 organic manure making and application to assist in the cultivation of crops such as maize, groundnuts, rice and sunflower. Some young farmers in Karonga and Rumphi AMCs further mentioned that they gained additional knowledge on HIV and AIDS prevention measures, child labour issues and gender equality and enabled them to in turn educate others about these issues. In Zomba AMC, the youth also mentioned that the sanitation and hygiene sessions during the trainings helped them to prevent the contraction of cholera and other infectious diseases. In most associations, the trainings were conducted weekly or monthly during months close to the planting season, typically over a period of three to four days. Agricultural (and additional) activities implemented and challenges. All the young producers are applying the skills and techniques learned during the trainings to an array of agricultural activities. For example, young farmers from Nkhotakota, Namwera and Rumphi AMCs were producing soya beans. Meanwhile, groundnuts are being produced in Lilongwe North and South, while rice, pigeon pea and sunflower are being grown in Karonga, Zikometso (Thyolo zone) and Zomba, and Mzimba AMCs respectively. Maize is being grown as an additional crop in Mzimba, Karonga, Zikometso (Thyolo zone), Zomba and Namwera AMCs. Apart from agriculture, some youth from Karonga introduced village savings and loans programs in their association. This, now acts as a source of financial services for the individual members who want to venture into other income generating activities such as confectionaries, or use to meet other HHs needs. Below are the agricultural activities implemented and main overall challenges faced. Karonga AMC. In Karonga, the youth from Kaporo association started growing maize in 2011 on borrowed communal land. Monetary returns from maize production were then used to purchase their own rice paddy, on which young producers are now cultivating rice. The following are the challenges that they face and their solutions. CHALLENGES SOLUTIONS Access to inputs e.g. Fertilizer Applying manure Access to finance Club loans (Village Savings and Loans) Access to markets Thinking of joining NASFAM main clubs to find links to markets Access to irrigation farming tools e.g. treadle pump Use of watering can Mzimba AMC. Malawo Junior Farmers club in within the Lwasozi association is cultivating sunflower, as well as other crops such as soya beans and maize. The youth have reported that they are implementing the crop production and climate adaptation techniques learned through the JFFLS. One such example is composite manure making. Using the knowledge and skills gained through JFFLS, the young producers were able to produce manure to improve soil fertility and the structure of their land. The youth were also using Sasakawa technology in maize production. During the winter season, they utilize the wetlands to produce vegetables using watering cans. There are several challenges that these young producers faced in the production of their crops. Some of the challenges mentioned include low prices for their produce, a lack of access to finance, a lack of productive inputs such as fertilizers, and complications associated with climate variability, particularly droughts, pests and diseases. As a club, they came up with innovative measures to address the problems that they were facing. For instance, they engaged in income-generating activities such as casual labor, from which they obtained the financial resources needed to purchase productive inputs such as fertilizers and chemicals for the pests and diseases. In addition to this, 14

15 they also produce composite manures which can be applied to their crops. They also planned to sell their crops collectively to increase their bargaining power and increase the prices they receive. Rumphi AMC. In Rumphi, most young producers from Mpherembe association are producing soya beans independently. They have adopted modern technologies in their farming activities such as pit planting and zero tillage. They are also practicing crop diversification, producing groundnuts and maize in their fields in addition to soya beans. The youth faced several challenges during the production and marketing of their crops. Notable examples include a lack of access to finance, reliable markets and inputs such as fertilizer, as well as low prices for their produce, pests and erratic rainfall. However, these farmers came up with innovative ways to combat the problems encountered in their farming activities. One measure they adopted to improve access to production inputs was engaging in small businesses, providing them with the income needed to buy inputs such as fertilizers. They also produced manure to complement the small amounts of fertilizers to which they already had access. To help adapt to climatic problems, many practiced conservation agriculture and winter cropping. Some also mentioned that they were engaged in forestation as a means of mitigating against climate change. Nkhotakota AMC. The junior farmer club in Nkhotakota from Mwansambo association is engaged in the production of soya beans. They have adopted new production technologies such as conservation agriculture (maximum soil cover) and organic manure application to minimize the problems that emerge due to climate change and lack of access to productive inputs. As a group, they do some piece work as another way of generating financial resources. They also face low prices and lack access to reliable markets in marketing their crops. Zikometso (Thyolo zone) AMC. In Zikometso (Thyolo zone), the young producers mostly produce pigeon peas, as well as soya beans, maize and leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes. They grow crops during both the rainy and winter seasons. During winter, they grow crops such as maize and vegetables on the available wetlands. They also use organic manure in their fields. Challenges Lack of finance to buy inputs and tools for farming e.g. fertilizers, seeds, hoes, treadle pumps, watering cans Low prices and lack of reliable markets No solutions yet Solutions Fundraising activities such as selling labour for money Climate variability Irrigation in wetlands & use of manure Pests attack crops Apply pesticides Lack of access to inputs such as fertilizers Apply organic manure Zomba AMC. Young producers from Dzaone association in Zomba were cultivating crops such as pigeon peas, and producing groundnuts and maize as additional crops. They irrigated some of their crops during the winter season. They adopted modern technologies like conservation agriculture, particularly zero or minimum tillage and the incorporation of crop residue. They face the following challenges in crop production: climate variability; pests & diseases; and lack of access to finance, inputs and tools for farming. Mostly they do piece work such as selling their labour to purchase agricultural inputs. They occasionally use borrowed tools such as hoes from their homes. Namwera AMC. At the Katuli association in Namwera AMC, the young producers are involved in the production of soya beans and cultivate groundnuts and maize as additional crops. They also practise soil conservation methods such as mulching and construction of box ridges. Some of the problems they encounter include a lack of access to inputs such as fertiliser and agricultural implements like hoes and wheelbarrows, as well as inadequate finances and 15

16 climatic variability, particularly dry spells. Theft is another problem faced by many of these young farmers. To solve their financial problems, they often borrowed money from their parents to purchase agricultural inputs, particularly fertilisers. Lilongwe South AMC. Young producers from Nyanja association in Lilongwe South AMC focused primarily on growing groundnuts. They faced problems such as a lack of access to reliable markets, finance and agriculture tools like hoes. Pests and diseases also affected their crop yields. At the moment, they have not yet found solutions to market problems and are selling to vendors who buy their produce at low prices. Linking them to reliable markets will help rectify this problem. Regarding finances, young farmers sold their labour for money, and sometimes borrowed from parents to purchase the necessary agricultural tools and inputs. Lilongwe North AMC. In the Ukwe association in Lilongwe North, there are two clubs for junior farmers. Both clubs mentioned that they grow groundnuts. They learned many new means of groundnut production, such as using recommended ridge and planting stations spacing, proper weeding methods and the use of organic manure. As young farmers, they encountered problems such as climate variability, pests and diseases, and a lack of access to finance and reliable markets during crop production and marketing. They stored their produce and sold when market demand was high and supply low to ensure that they received food prices. Most of their income came from crop sales and the selling of their labour. Young producers interests in additional agricultural activities. Young producers had several other agricultural activities that they were interested in implementing. Below are the responses from the youth in each AMC regarding the desired agricultural activities. AMCs Male Agriculture activities Karonga Livestock production (e.g. dairy cattle and chicken) Production of other crops such as maize Mzimba Livestock production (e.g. goats, chicken, ducks and guinea fowl) Production of irrigated crops Female Livestock production (e.g. dairy cattle, chicken (layers) and goats) Production of other crops such as soya beans Livestock production (e.g. goats, chicken and pigs) Production of other crops ( e.g. groundnuts) Rumphi Livestock production (e.g. dairy cows, chicken (Layers) and pigs) Bee keeping Irrigation Farming (e.g. tomatoes, maize, beans and cabbages) Nkhotakota Production of crops such as maize and new varieties of groundnuts Livestock production (e.g. goats, pigs and dairy cattle) Mix cropping (e.g. maize and groundnuts) Zikometso (Thyolo zone) Livestock production (e.g. cattle, goats and chickens) Aquaculture Production of other crops such as Irish potatoes Livestock production (e.g. dairy cows, hybrid chicken (layers) and goats) Irrigation farming Livestock production (e.g. pigs, cattle, chickens (layers) and goats) Irrigation farming Livestock production (e.g. chicken (Layers) and goats) 16

17 Zomba Aquaculture Irrigation farming of crops (e.g. tomato) Production of other crops such as sunflower Namwera Livestock production (e.g. goats, chicken) Production of other crops such as groundnuts Lilongwe South Livestock production (e.g. dairy cattle, chicken and pigeons) Production of other crops such as soya beans, and maize Lilongwe North Livestock production (e.g. goats, rabbits and pigs) Production of other crops such as soya beans Aquaculture Aquaculture Irrigation farming Production of other crops such as eggplants, maize and cabbage Livestock production (e.g. chickens) Production of crops such as leafy vegetables, onions Livestock production (e.g. chickens) Irrigation farming Livestock production (e.g. chicken, dairy cattle, pigs and goats) Production of other crops such as maize, soya beans Livestock production (e.g. dairy cattle, chicken (layers) and goats) Production of other crops such as soya beans Youth experiences with climate change. In almost all the AMCs both male and female junior farmers mentioned that they had observed changes in average temperature and rainfall variability over the past 10 years. Some of the temperature changes mentioned were an increase in the incidence of hot days and a decrease in the number of cold days. They explained that over time, some months that were previously known to be cold had become hotter. Regarding rainfall variability, responses varied per AMC as some experienced erratic rains, heavier rains leading to floods, rains starting earlier, longer periods of drought or short periods of rainy seasons, late commencement of rains or shorter rains. As a result of the changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns, many experienced crop and/or livestock failure. Responses indicate that these climatic changes have prompted a more rapid multiplication of pests and diseases such as Newcastle diseases in chickens and witch weed in maize, and have caused droughts and flooding that destroys their crops and livestock. Below are some adaptation measures junior farmers from various associations mentioned, as well as their associated challenges. AMCs Adaptation measures Challenges Adaptation measures Challenges Young men Young women Karonga Forestation Lack of tree seedlings Forestation Conflicts over people in favour of cutting trees for charcoal burning and firewood Soil conservation measures e.g. Planting vetiver grass Constructing diversion Conflicts over demarcations of farm lands Lack of farm equipments e.g. wheelbarrow, cement Application of organic manure Soil conservation measures e.g. Planting vetiver grass Lack of farm animals No barrier organic manure application Transportation of manure Mzimba Irrigation farming Lack of equipment like treadle pumps and inputs Application of organic manure Change crop variety or Transportation of manure No barrier Water conservation measures e.g. box ridges Floods 17

18 crop type veterinary services Lack of drugs in demand Rumphi Forestation Lack of tree seedlings Conflicts over people in favour of cutting trees for charcoal burning and firewood Irrigation farming Conservation agriculture e.g. maximum soil cover Change planting dates Lack of equipment like treadle pumps People burn the maize stalks Erratic rainfall Nkhotakota Forestation Lack of water sources Change field location Shortage of land Irrigation farming Lack of equipment like treadle pumps Forestation Change planting dates Erratic rainfall Change planting dates No barrier Use of crop cover Inadequate resources (maize stalks) Change veterinary interventions Lack of water sources Use of crop cover Inadequate resources (maize stalks) Change interventions veterinary Zikometso Forestation No barrier Forestation No barrier Zomba Use of crop cover Livestock feed on crop residues Use of crop cover Livestock feed on crop residues Labour demanding People burn maize stalks Change crop variety Pests attack crops Zero or minimum tillage No barrier Water conservation measures e.g. box ridges Excess water leads to soil erosion Soil and water conservation (making manure) Seek off farm employment Use crop cover/incorporation of crop residue Labour demanding Very low wages No barrier Change planting dates No barrier Irrigation farming No barrier Forestation Conflicts over people in favour of cutting trees for charcoal burning and firewood Change crop variety or crop type Lack of inputs such as seeds Zero or minimum tillage Lack of manure Pests and diseases attacks crops Zero or minimum tillage Pests attacks crops Namwera Change planting dates Drought or dry spells Use of crop cover Termites destroys the crop cover Use of crop cover Termites (destroying the crop cover) Applying organic manure Labour demanding Lilongwe South Forestation Conflicts over people in favour of cutting trees for charcoal burning and firewood Use crop cover Inadequate crop residue people burn crop residue Use crop cover Inadequate crop residues Forestation Lack of tree seedlings Use of organic manure Change crop variety/crop type Powerful manure destroys crops No information on climate change and appropriate 18

19 adoptions Irrigation farming Lack of water sources Lilongwe North Forestation lack of water sources animals trample on tree seedlings Diversify planting dates Trees do not grow well due to erratic rains Seek off farm employment Long working hours and low wages Soil and water conservation methods No barrier Youth perceptions of agriculture. Most male and female young producers perceived farming as important, particularly given the increasing rates of unemployment. They mentioned that agriculture served as a simple source of household food and income if there were adequate production resources such as fertilizers, good seeds, adequate finances, good climatic conditions and reliable markets to absorb what they have produced. In all AMCs, male and female farmers had similar responses. Young producers in Karonga and Rumphi AMCs said that there were more benefits in farming than in other forms of employment. Others in Zomba AMC said that farming is a vital means of providing basic household needs such as food and income. In Namwera and Lilongwe North AMCs, junior farmers said that the agricultural trainings had led them to become more self-reliant, and as a result they were able to derive more benefits from agricultural activities. Youth perceptions about the JFFLS. Most male and female junior farmers from almost all AMCs attribute the JFFLS programme with having changed their living and economic standards for the better. They said that the agricultural trainings they received from their facilitators are enriched with modern production knowledge and techniques which, when practiced, enable them to achieve better yields. Some issues in terms of access to markets have been expressed and have prompted NASFAM for a better support in terms of facilitated access to main markets. 5. Conclusions Agriculture (crop production and agro business) and climate change were the major areas in which most male and female young producers were trained. These trainings are already having a positive impact on the lives of many young farmers, as they have become more self reliant, and are investing more of their resources and time in improving their productivity. However, it was made clear that there remains a need for more capacity development among facilitators so that they possess skills in areas such as livestock production and irrigation farming, which have received little capacity development. In Karonga, Mzimba, Nkhotakota, Zikometso, Zomba, Namwera, Lilongwe South and Lilongwe North AMCs, young producers are implementing agriculture related projects in clubs. In Rumphi AMC, these projects are being implemented individually. Most of the activities involve crop production. Crops such as such as soya beans were the principal source of income for the young producers in Rumphi, Namwera and Nkhotakota. In Lilongwe South and Lilongwe North, the youth grew groundnuts, while those from Zomba and Zikometso focused primarily on growing pigeon peas. In Karonga and Mzimba the youth were engaged in the production of rice and sunflower respectively. In most AMCs, both male and female young producers learned and adopted effective production methods, such as the use of organic manure. In Rumphi the youth were also practicing conservation agriculture practices like pit planting and zero tillage. 19

20 A lack of access to productive inputs, finance and reliable markets were the major challenges faced by most young producers. In all AMCs, both male and female young producers stated an interest in rearing livestock such as goats, pigs, poultry (chicken), rabbits and dairy cattle to diversify their production. Youth from Namwera, Zomba, Rumphi and Nkhotakota wanted to commence irrigation farming. Young male producers from Lilongwe North and Zikometso, and both male and female producers from Zomba stated that they wanted to engage in acquacultre while in Rumphi, young men stated an interest in beekeeping. In almost all AMCs, most male and female young producers now possess knowledge of adaptation measures that they would implement in their areas. Some of the measures mentioned include forestation, soil and water conservation measures e.g. planting vetiver grass, box ridges, irrigation farming, the use of organic manure, the use of crop cover and zero or minimum tillage. Most male and female young producers from various associations perceived farming as a good source of HH food and income if productive resources and reliable markets were adequately available. Regarding the JFFLS programme, most youth commend the trainings as educative, and stated that they helped improve their farming activities and increased their economic incomes. Some of the facilitators mentioned that the incidence of child labour was declining, and were reporting that more children were attending school. On the other hand, the average age of young boys in lower primary school was quite high compared to the corresponding figure for girls, which could be an area for further research. Adult males had more access to and control of HH resources compared to females, who typically possessed smaller parcels of land and had less control over HH income. This calls for interventions geared towards empowering women so that they may have better access to land and other resources at the HH level. Women should also be encouraged to diversify into more cash crops, and should have be further trained on innovative marketing techniques. The majority of the facilitators spend their income on food items and other consumable goods, with very little income re-invested in farming equipment and other economic activities. This implies that most of the farmers have indeed, in general, low incomes, which is unsurprising given that most of them are dependent on small-scale crop and livestock production. Through the JFFLS, the young producers are being encouraged to use the skills acquired to upscale their farming activities as a business and in a sustainable and environmental friendly way. 20