Reaching Smallholder Farmers in Africa with Appropriate Agricultural Technologies, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) experience. 23 May 2017 Radisson Hotel, Nairobi George Marechera & Donald Mavindidze AATF
My 3 Discussion Points i. What farmers need for transformative agriculture i. Delivering innovative agricultural technologies through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) s experience ii. The Cassava Mechanisation and Agroprocessing (CAMAP) experience
Farmers value chain concerns Agriculture technologies (Seeds, Equipment, Fertilizers) No information about new varieties No information on what works and where Intellectual Property and cost of the technologies Not readily available, expensive No information about profitable application rates Information and capacity building What works, where and how? Finance High interest rates and collateral No financial inclusion for smallholder farmers Market Limited value addition (quality, standards, certification) Low and volatile prices Distance to retailer Bad infrastructure - transport
Challenges to Food Security Technology Related Constraints Limited of access to improved varieties Poor agronomic management practices Unpredictable climatic conditions Poor post-harvest management Lack of mechanization Labour scarcity Inadequate energy sources Natural resources degradation Poor animal husbandry Cost and IP management Constraints not Related to Technology Land scarcity Limiting land tenure Inefficient and inadequate markets Inadequate infrastructure Limited government support Poor rural agricultural finance systems Inefficient research Poor extension services Non-economical production scales Appropriate Technologies and Policies
The Need - Birth of AATF Need for effective mechanisms to negotiate the access and transfer - on humanitarian grounds Need for partnerships and networks to manage the development & deployment of these technologies AATF mandate is therefore to: access, develop, adapt and deliver appropriate agricultural technologies for sustainable use by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through innovative partnerships and effective stewardship along the entire value chain
AATF Vision and Mission Access Develop Adapt Deliver Appropriate agricultural technologies Sustainable use Smallholder farmers in Sub- Saharan Africa Innovative partnerships Effective stewardship Entire value chain Prosperous & Food Secure Africa
What we do A constraint How to solve Broker Technology, royalty free Testing (researchers & farmers) Regulatory controls Deliver Agribusinesses Smallholders Best practices Sustainable use Identify Adapt Steward
How AATF Operates Technology Licensors License Technology/Know-how Support in Kind Funding Agencies AATF Sub-license Contracts 1 2 3 4 Partners Research Institute Research Institute Production & Distribution Company NGO/Private Stockists Farmers Activities Basic/Strategic/ Adaptive Research Regulatory Approvals Production & Distribution Demonstration & Market Development
Where we work 13 Countries 10 Projects 9 Crops 60 Staff Senegal Burkina Faso Ghana Zambia Nigeria Uganda Ethiopia Kenya Tanzania Malawi Zimbabwe Mozambique 85 Partners South Africa
Current AATF Priority Areas & Related Projects PRIORITY AREAS RELATED PROJECT(S) Impact of climate change on agriculture Pest Management Soil Management WEMA, NEWEST Rice Cowpea, Banana, Striga, Aflatoxin NEWEST Rice, COMPRO II Nutrient and quality enhancement in foods Aflatoxin Improved breeding Methods Hybrid Rice, WEMA, Seeds2B Mechanization CAMAP Enabling environment OFAB, Seed systems, Regulations, IP, Business Development, Stewardship
Reaching Farmers Through Partnerships Hybrid Rice Aflatoxins control n Maize & Peanuts Striga Control in Maize Seeds2B
Investors and Partners
Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project (CAMAP) for Small holder farmers in Nigeria, Zambia and Uganda Country Nigeria Zambia Uganda Partners NCAM, Hello Tractors, Plantgate, IFAD, Fortis Bank, AADL, AADV ZARI, Farmer Cooperatives NaCRRI, Farmer Cooperatives
Mechanisation Along the Value Chain Primary Tillage Spraying Harvest Processing 1. Industrial 2. Community 3. Household Planting Weeding
Flat bed Cassava Planter Minimum power requirement is 60Hp Splits cassava stems in 15cm lengths Plants 2 or 4 rows of stems uniformly and horizontally 220kg fertilizer capacity: uniform fertilizer application Fertilizer used NPK (3-4 bags per ha) Covers stems with soil on the ground
Cassava Cultivator 9 ha/day 45 hp *Mechanical weed control 2 rows
Cassava Cultivator 18 ha/day 75 hp *Mechanical weed control 4 rows
Cassava Cultivator *Herbicide tank (optional) Flotation wheels: adjust depth (4-5cm)
Cassava Cultivator Reduction of costs; Facilitates water absortion and retention better growth; Yield improvements
Root digger/harvester Easily attached to a tractor (80hp 4WD ) Loosens the soil during harvesting Uproots 2 rows of cassava tubers uniformly from the ground
Cassava Crane 1200 kg 75 hp HELP cassava loading and transportation
Business Model for Reaching Farmers Equipment is identified and accessed for smallholder farmers Farmers are identified, linked to high yielding, disease resistant cassava varieties and supported with best agronomic practices (herbicide application, weeding, fertiliser application). Farmers are linked to planting, harvesting and processing machines and processing factories and trained in business management and sustainable farming practices Service providers are identified and trained to provide mechanisation services to farmers on commercial business lines Cassava value chains are developed to increase efficiency and facilitate market linkages Leveraging on existing relationships with extension services, NARS, CBOs, agro-dealers and other cassava initiatives ( e.g. C:AVA)
Mechanisation - What s different? Our Strategy Systems Approach Cassava Constraint Mapping Gender Equality Technology Identification Better Market Access and Post Harvest Technoloy Negotiation and Access Use of Better Agronomic Management Technology Transfer, Adaptation and Use Use of Improved Varieties Service provision, repairs, maintainance Technology Fabrication and Replication
Cassava Mechanisation and Agroprocessing Project -CAMAP Country Total ha Total Beneficiaries Nigeria 6,500 52,000 Zambia 1,100 6,600 Uganda 900 5,400 Grand total 8,500 64,000
Benefits Process Manual Mechanized Land preparation ( ploughing & harrowing) Stem preparation and planting 30 days (240 hours) 1,5 hour $140 8 days (64 hours) 45 minutes $60 Weeding 12 days (96 hours) 30 minutes Harvesting 45 days (320 hours) $280 $50 $50 8 hours $200 Crop vigor low high Uniformity of crop 35% 85 95% Yields per ha 7 9 ton 30 45 tons Income per ha USD700-900 USD2,000 3,500 Market linkages Traditional Linked to processors
High Yields and More Money Project Area Total Ha Harvested Highest Yield (tons) Lowest Yield (tons) Average Yield / ha (tons) Price / ton (US$) Income per Ha (US$) Cost of Production/ Ha (US$) Net Profit/ Ha (US$) Zambia 23 44 25 28 76 2,128 540 1,588 Nigeria 255 33 18 28 65 1,820 480 1,340 Harvesting in Nigeria Harvesting in Zambia
Project Finance Access to Finance First year demonstrating where farmers get inputs from the project Second year 50% upon mobilization, 50% upon harvest Third year 70% upon mobilization and 30% upon completion of works Revolving Funds FORTIS and Heritage Bank IFAD and FADAMA II Farmers Cooperatives
Assimilation of organizational models for smallholders under CAMAP Model Driver Motivation Producer-driven Buyer-driven Intermediarydriven Smallholder groups, associations, cooperatives Processors, retailers, exporters, traders, wholesalers NGOs, development agencies, governments Access to new markets, increased bargaining power, access to inputs, technical assistance, secure market position, farmer empowerment Access to land, supplies, increase volumes, supply niche markets Local and national economic development, farmer empowerment
Use of Technology GPS to identify where farmers Farmer database Mobile communication AATF Market Information Support Systems (AMISS)
Stakeholder Involvement
Farmer Clusters Emphasizing the need to take up farming as a business- Nigeria
Training of Farming as a Business Youths and children interested in Mechanization in Kigumba Uganda in 2015 Field training in Apac
Capacity Building Farmer Education
Training of Service Providers - Sustainability Over 100 Service Providers trained in Operation and maintenance of tractors, cassava planter, boom sprayer, cultivator, cassava harvester (theory and practical) Assembly and servicing all machines Certificates awarded
Facilitate harvesting and market linkages Harvesting in Osun in June 2015 Project Area Total Ha Harvested Highest Yield (tons) Lowest Yield (tons) Average Yield / ha Price / ton Income per Ha Cost of Production / Ha Net Profit / Ha Nigeria 155 33 18 28 US$65 US$1,820 US$480 US$1,340
Linking Farmers to Processors Processors taking the cassava from farmers using big trucks Increase in local market price from NGN8000 to NGN20,000
THANK YOU