Post on 26-Dec-2015
YIELD / CmiA Program Approach to Improving Smallholder Cotton yields in
Zambia
Ben M. Sekamatte,YIELD / Cotton Made in Africa Program
Manager,Dunavant Zambia
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Dunavant Zambia Head officeDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Overview
• Background
• Productivity concerns
• The YIELD / CmiA Approach
• Outputs – Lessons learnt
• Conclusions
1.Dominantly smallholder, lint export sub-sector
Farmer
GinneryEU, China, India
Long chain of Value addition-garments
Retail storesEU customerUses shirt 2yrs
2nd hand clothdealer
Chain of traders
90% COMESA ZONE
Productivity concerns
Production trends - Zambia
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005
Me
tric
to
ne
s
Hectarage-led production
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7
Crop season
He
cta
rag
e/Y
ield
Comparative cotton Productivity
• Post liberalization profitability of the cotton sector in Zambia & and across Africa is hampered by chronically low on-farm yields- rarely >600kg /ha; Except Egypt over 900kg /ha.
• A major factor for Africa’s competitiveness
• Effects of Sharply declining world lint prices greatly felt
• Declining farmer enthusiasm
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Egypt OtherCOMESA
USA China
Kg/ha
The YIELD/ Cotton made in Africa Program Programme:
A private –Public partnership to empower smallholder cotton farmers
Germany DEG & Dunavant Partnership
• Y = yield
• I = improvement
• E = empowerment• L = learning
• D = discipline
Productivity-supportive innovations
• Attempts to add value at the production level through Yield enhancement
• CmiA program innovatively organizes and trains smallholder farmers to improve production efficiency
Reaching the farmers
Agric Managers
Distributor Buyers Distributors Farmers
Focus of the Yield Program• Improve production
efficiency & therefore yield,
• Increase net EARNINGS,
• Improve ECOLOGICAL & SOCIAL sustainability
• Through tailored training of 100,000 farmers in 2 years
• Early & proper land preparation
• Correct Time of planting
• Correct plant population
• Keeping a weed-free crop
• Wise Pest Management
Program Set up• Program Manager• 2 Zonal Managers• 18 Area Coordinators• 280 Site Coordinators• 2800 Lead Farmers• >40,000 Collaborating
farmers
CmiA program operation sites
Training: Process & Focus
• Attitude Change– Field staff
– Farmers
• Business mindedness
CoPPrice
Yield
Profit
Area-Based training of Farmer Trainers
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Training: Process & Focus
• Area coordinators train up to 20 Site Coordinators
• Individual Site Coordinators (in picture) Practically Demonstrate groups of 10 Lead farmers
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Training aided by Audio-Video Shows
Farmer Field Days & Exchange Visits
Outputs & Lessons learned so far
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Ordinary Farmers analysisDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0-700
Traditional
Farmer
700 - 1400
Better
Farmer
1400 - 2100
Committed
Farmer
>2100
Super
Farmer
Yield range
% o
f fa
rme
rs
Collaborating Farmers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0-700 TraditionalFarmer
700 - 1400 Better Farmer
1400 - 2100Committed
Farmer
>2100 Super Farmer
Yield range
% o
f fa
rmer
s
CmiA Farmers analysisDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0-700
Traditional
Farmer
700 - 1400
Better Farmer
1400 - 2100
Committed
Farmer
>2100 Super
Farmer
Yield range
% o
f fa
rmers
Per Ha Net incomes in US $
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Ordinary Farmers Collaborating Farmers CmiA Farmers
Farmer category
Net
in
com
e /h
a (U
S $
)Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Conclusions
1. The highly inefficient farmer –level segment of the cotton value Chain can be improved through farmer empowerment programs.
2. Private-Public Cooperation e.g. CmiA can help change face of the industry & improve farmers’ incomes
3. YIELD / CmiA program presents a classical example of innovations for smallholder cotton productivity enhancement.