Diversification and Knowledge

Exchange to Promote Food

Security

Dr. Mizeck Chagunda

Senior Researcher

Scottish Agricultural College (SAC)

Outline

• Food security – Traditional approach

– Diversified approach

• Knowledge Exchange

• Partnerships

Food Security

Traditional Approach

• Arable crops have traditionally

dominated the definition

• Other Enterprises have been

perceived as supplementary

The Problem

• Narrow Definition not sustainable

• Crop production has tended to be

seasonal

• Financial security: not only safety-net but

also a substantial contributor

Diversification

Diversification

• Not only into other crops

• Market oriented enterprises

• Livestock production (case of dairy)

Why livestock matter?

• Provide food

• Enhanced nutrition

• Income

• Traction and fertilizer

• Act as catalysts that transform subsistence

farming into income-generating enterprises

• Allowing poor households to join the market

economy

Activities % response for main occupation

Dairying 57.5

Other agricultural activities 39.8

Employed 0.9

Small scale business 1.8

• 70% dairy farmers are above the US$1.00/day poverty line

in terms of income only

• Potential energy source

• Can it contribute more? Yes

Role of smallholder Dairy

Opportunities

• Flagship

• Willing farmers

• Experience from Farmers

• Non Governmental Organisations

• Local organisations including farmer

associations

• Partnerships

Challenges

• Feeding and feed resources

• Cow fertility

• Breeding and Recording

• Milk keeping quality

• Low yields

• Low profits

Anything in common?

• Different scales

• Same challenges

Similarities: Scotland - Malawi

• Use of same breeds

• Issues of cow fertility

• Milk prices

• Feeding

• Animal Health

Knowledge Exchange

SAC Projects in Malawi

• Dairy farming practices for sustainable land use, environmental protection and improved rural livelihoods: 2008 - 2011

• Capacity Building in small-holder dairy farms in Malawi (Optimising Smallholder Dairying): 2008 - 2011

• Dairy Diploma Programme: 2010 - 2013

Knowledge Exchange

• Training of Trainers – Training Workshops

• Training of Farmers -

• Training of Technical support

• Training of Scientists - workshops

• Supporting lead farmers

• Vet equipment

• Visits

• Training on training methods

Knowledge Exchange

• Different format depending on audience

– Workshop

– Visits

– Training

• Different facilitators/Trainers

– Peer training

– Expert trainers

Approaches

Approach Resource

Person

Example

Show how to do it Trainer Artificial

Insemination

course

Enable how to do it Facilitator Record keeping

I believe you can do

it

Training the

Trainer

Training/ Mentoring

Let’s do it differently Innovator Feed presentation

Specific achievements

Outcome(s) Indicator Where are we?

Increased knowledge exchange between Malawian and Scottish dairy experts.

Training courses and knowledge exchange sessions..

Staff exchange

Training of trainers

Knowledge exchange sessions

Increased forage quality and availability.

Increase in quantity of harvested and conserved forage

Training sessions conducted

Demonstration units established

Increase in milk keeping quality

Reduce milk rejections. Training sessions for farmers

Training sessions for milk buyers

Increase inseminations and hence increase cow fertility.

increased conception rates AI training (farmer technicians, AI technicians)

The visual report

Introduce and promote use of performance graphs

CPM Curve Developed and tested

Dairy experts

At least 2 Malawian MSc 3 Trained

16% female

Training sessions

Thematic Area Ext. workers Lead farmers

Total Female Male Female Male

Animal recording and breeding 10 55 2 12 79

Forage production and feeding 3 22 2 12 39

Milk quality control 6 16 0 0 22

Artificial Insemination 0 1 2 12 15

MSc 1 2 0 0 3

Financial Security

• A drop of 69% and 34% in empirical

values of milk with mastitis and

adulteration, respectively

• Helped establish a Milk Bulking Group

around Bunda College

Partnerships

SAC and Partners in Malawi

• Partner Institutions:

University of Malawi

Bunda College

• Funding

Government of Malawi

Department of Animal

Health and Livestock

Development

Mzuzu University

Some Lessons Learnt

Positives

• Pre-call discussion i.e. Build relationships

• Project inception meeting

• Lay out simple but clear procedures

• Communication

• Involve wide range of stakeholders

Improvables

• Project ownership

– Bunda project

– Involve farmers in the planning of the sessions

• Funding Mechanism

– Follows traditional route

Funding route

Fundin

g level

Fundin

g level

Years

Years

1 2 3

1 2 3 4 5

Traditional

Proposed

Conclusion

• Secure assets: Help keep animals alive

• Improve and sustain smallholder

productivity

• Increasing market participation

30