REPORT OF THE IITA-CFN CLIP PROJECT PROGRESS Improved productivity through crop-livestock internations in Eastern DR Congo and Burundi of the Ruzizi Plain February 2017 Project supported by IITA DRC Project conducted by the Congolese Foresters Network (CFN) Réseau Conglais des Forestiers (RCF)
1. Introduction and mission objectives A mission to monitor the progress of the CLIP project was carried out by the RCF in the Ruzizi plain. This oneday mission was carried out on 7 February 2017 and was carried out by the RCF Coordinator and the Agricultural Engineer responsible for the RCF's Peace, Environment and Food Security.. In the project, RCF is an implementing partner of the IITA funded CLIP project. Responsibilities between the two parties are well shared according to the contract to effectively assist the target beneficiaries of the project, which are composed of 21 agro-pastoralists resident in the Rutebe village of the locality of Katogota in the Ruzizi plain. These are distributed according to the different specialties of which 9 agro-breeders of cow, 5 agro-breeders of pigs and 7 agro-breeders of chickens. The seed kits that had been distributed to the different categories of members. Type of agro-breeders # Agro target breeders Total area Type and quantity of seed distributed mais manioc haricot Soja Agro-breeders of cows 9 4,5 Ha 135 kg 27 kg Pig breeders 5 1,5 Ha 3750 ml 90 kg Agro-breeders of hen 7 1,75 Ha 52,5 kg 70 kg 21 7,75 Ha 187,5 kg 3750 ml 90 kg 97 kg The main objective of the field mission was to see and evaluate the level of achievement of the results and also to see how the climatic disturbances affected the agricultural activities of our beneficiaries and to see how these funds will appropriately Of the project. After the results of the project will be shared with IITA for future actions. 2. Monitoring and evaluation methodology During our mission, we were able to visit the fields of 'producers and had interviews with them. Given the time constraints, the Field Based Field Supervisor presented a status report on all activities in general. 3. Progress achieved Generally the result of production and productivity throughout the Ruzizi plain including the village of Rutebe was considered catastrophic by the beneficiary agro - breeders. According to their statement the planting for season A 2017 began October 2016 and November 2016 and the harvest was scheduled to take place in February and March 2017 according to their normal schedule. According to them, the season was dominated by unprecedented drought. In their statement since, the beginning of the season; The month of October November 2017 it rained in the village of Rutebe 3 times only of which a rain in the month of November 2016 and two rains in the month of February 2017. This situation has significantly affected the crops throughout the village. We will present the results of each culture. Soybeans and Beans Generally, legumes were almost completely affected as they had not benefited from rain at all during the vegetation and development phase. All varieties have succumbed to this adversity. Corn In most of the corn fields visited this crop did not exceed 1 meter in length. Many of these fields have been abandoned by their owners since these moneys do not expect any production of these fields. The drought has hit this crop so that many corn fields are in the form of forage fields. For certain fields where one could observe some ears of maize; These ears are 40% perforated by caterpillars and other insects that have developed due to this drought. See photos on next page. IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 2
Field of maize presented under Forage form Caterpillars and insects that affected maize Although the situation of droughts and its effects was a great calamity in the village of Rutebe, some agrobreeders were able to observe some but trace in their fields. This led them to say that the yellow corn variety received from IITA through RCF is relatively resistant to drought and caterpillars compared to other varieties of the plot and have demonstrated the need to have " Other seeds to sow season B 2017 if the climate will be mild. Let us present the results of the fields of 3 agro-livestock beneficiaries we met. Field of Muvanga Ngaliso Although drought completely destroyed corn fields in the village of Rutebe, Muvanga remains convinced that its field of maize is 35% resistant to drought and caterpillars have developed very much in its field because it considers that the variety of But yellow received from RCF through IITA is relatively resistant compared to the local variety. According to him, he thinks that his field of 12.5 ares will produce 50 kg of dry maize, a yield of 400 kg per ha. The cultivation practices used by Muvanga are the pure sowing of corn at the spacing of 1 mx 80 cm IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 3
Madame Murhamya. Ms. Murhamya had sown the maize in association with soybeans. She harvested part of her field where she harvested 100 kg of fresh corn she consumed in her family. The other part of its unused field is reserved for harvesting for sowing in the next season. As for soybeans, everything has been affected by drought so zero harvest. Faida Cihonjo Mrs. Faida Cihonjo is also agro-pastoral beneficiary of the project that we met collecting her field of 12 ares of maize or she harvested 15 kg of corn but she thinks she keeps a part for the seed at the next B 2017. IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 4
Cassava Cassava has somewhat withstood drought and gives hope of continuing although its vegetative phase has been delayed by drought. As the photo on the right indicates, there has been a proliferation of white flies on cassava leaves due to drought. 4. Conclusion and recommendations Faced with this disastrous result, it appears that the population of the Ruzizi plain in general and that of the village of Rutebe in Katogota in particular is exposed to a permanent risk of climatic disturbance characterized mainly by drought. This season the situation was very alarming to the point of putting farmers in despair. The expected output of this community will be almost zero as a result of this climatic disturbance and as a consequence the hunger of the population and the importation of the food of the other territories or the neighboring countries. However, it would be advisable to consider developing a program of resilient agriculture in the Ruzizi plain and therefore an agricultural program adapted to climate change as in other desert countries. Faced with this result the plain of the Ruzizi runs the risk of desertification and consequently the agricultural program in this region must be reviewed and adapted. Although this program requires substantial funding RCF is developing a program of <resilient agriculture in South Kivu>. Some major projects and activities developed by RCF in this resilient program are : Agrofostery; Irrigation and drainage; Development of seed varieties suitable for drought; Diversification of agricultural and economic activities (livestock, fish farming, fishing, AGR, shops, fruit crops...) Terraces and erosion control IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 5
Environmental conservation project such as intensive forestry; Regionalization or regrouping of agriculture. In the village of Rutebe well the state and generally catastrophic some results were more or less encouraging and so could serve us lessons learned in future programs. (A) Harvesting beans in the highlands According to the testimonies received, farmers in the highlands were not very affected by the drought due to the relative humidity created by the altitude. In this environment, beans and other legumes have not been severely affected by drought and a small bean market from the highlands is located in Rutebe. (B) The application of agroforestry practices as a remedy to the problem of drought in the village of Rutebe and the rest of the Ruzizi plain. Case of the manioc field associated with the sugarcane and the mandarin tree of a peasant pilot in Rutebe. This mother who is a pilot peasant is practicing agroforestry and thinks that her field is not too affected by the calamity of the drought that has ravaged the fields of the other farmers of the village of Rutebe. In her field, the mother associated with cassava & citrus and sugar cane. Sugarcane and mandarin moisten the field and preserve cassava from drought. The white tips of the sugarcane and the open leaves contribute to the fertility of the field. We observed that the cassava plants had a height of more than 3 meters and an interesting collar diameter. Mother said that apart from cassava she sometimes combines maize and sometimes beans and all give good yields in her field in the agro-forestry system. Its field has an area of 1 ha. IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 6
(C) The peasants who irrigate their fields with pipes The other positive lesson in the village of Rutebe concerns some farmers who make partial irrigations in their fields especially with pipes and water coming from the rivers. This created moisture somewhat attenuates the effects of drought. Urgent recommendation season B A great recommendation is to ask IITA and RCF and facilitate the Rutebe farmers to urgently have seeds for season B 2017 that begins. IITA and Congolese Foresters Network : Ruzizi Plain Productivity Report, February 2017, page 7