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Green RevolutionPartnership

Feeding Future

INSIDEGuinea worm– the final assaultpage 3

SAFE programme4 universities on coursepage 5

ACE update: AgribusinessForum Ethiopiapage 12

Urgent donor supportneededpage 14

continued on page 2

Kano, Nigeria,February 1998:Amadu Lawan, a small-scalefarmer from Kodo village inKano State, Nigeria,enthusiastically welcomes hisvisitors to his land. He pointsenergetically with his fingerlesshands – ravaged in an earlier dayby leprosy – to his irrigatedwheat field, talking excitingly inhis native Hausa language abouthis wheat crop. “Last year, Iharvested 12 bags. This year Iexpect more” , he says, proudlyshowing his visitors the rangeof crops that he plants on his

one-hectarage farm fields.Amadu, 50, was the first in hisvillage to take up the improvedwheat technology. Now it isspreading to other farmers,including Amadu’s son, SaniLawan, a powerfully built youngman of 29 years. Sani’s wheatplot is even better than hisfather’s and yields are likely toapproach 6 t/ha. He has learnedwell from his father.

Amadu’s 12-bag wheatharvest is equivalent to a4.8 t/ha yield, explains SG 2000Country Director, JoséAntonio Valencia. “It is aprofitable cash crop for him,costing 10,000 naira andyielding 24,000 naira of grain.Last year, he sold 11 bags for atotal of 22,000 naira, holdingone back for homeconsumption.”

“The small-scale farmers inKodo village are supported bymany partners in this fadamairrigation developmentscheme,” says Chris Dowswell,SAA’s Director for ProgrammeCo-ordination. The project isfunded through a World Bankloan and implemented by thestaff of KNARDA, the Kano

State Rural DevelopmentAuthority, with assistance fromSG 2000. Recommendedtechnology comes fromnational (Institute ofAgricultural Research; LakeChad Research Institute) andinternational researchorganisations, (IITA, CIMMYT,ICRISAT).

SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION

‘Fadamas’ are the flood plainareas adjacent to rivers. Soilsare fertile and water tables are

often close to the surface(within five metres). Thecurrent phase of the FadamaDevelopment Project isbringing small-scale irrigation to7,000 farmers in Kano state ataffordable prices. Eachparticipating family is beinggiven the means to farm onehectare with their new tubewell and motorised pump.

Sani Ben Tukur, ManagingDirector of KNARDA, talksglowingly about the FadamaDevelopment Project. “We areahead of schedule in meeting allproject objectives,” he notes.“Some 7,000 farm families willbenefit from this phase of ourcomprehensive developmentscheme.”

Much of the success of thefadama project, Ben Tukurbelieves, “has been its grass

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister MelesZenawi greets SAA’s Dr NormanBorlaug during the field tripbefore Workshop ’97 held in AddisAbaba. Centre is Yohei Sasakawa,President of the Nippon Foundationwhich funds SAA. (For workshopreport see page 13).

Amadu Lawan (right) and his son Sani:a brighter future awaits his family.

THEFeeding FutureNEWSLETTER OF THE SASAKAWA AFRICA ASSOCIATION ISSUE 12, APRIL 1998

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GUEST EDITORIALcontinued from front page

Green RevolutionPartnership

roots participatory nature.”Farmers must organisethemselves into water userassociations and each isrequired to make a 25% downpayment before well drilling canbegin on his or her land.They must complete paymentfor the tube well and irrigationpump within three years after itbegins to deliver water to theirland. Total costs range from36,000 to 44,000 naira(US$450-500).

“The water user associationsare also an extremely importantdimension.” he says. “Theseorganised groups improveKNARDA’s efficiency indelivering technical services,and give the farmers moreleverage in obtaining inputs andmarketing their produce.”

SG 2000 has collaboratedwith KNARDA’s extensionservice since 1993 inbackstopping efforts tointroduce improved cropproduction technology tofadama farmers. KNARDA’sfrontline extension agent,Mono Danladi, workswith farmers in Kodo villageto establish plots thatdemonstrate the recommendedtechnology.

Shiv S Singh, the World Bankmanager who oversees theproject, is also very pleased withthe progress in fadamadevelopment. “Nigeria hasenormous areas with thepotential for fadama irrigationdevelopment at very low pricesper unit area,” he says.

“In Kano State there are70,000 ha of fadamas with thepotential for small-scaleirrigation development; inneighbouring Jigawa State, thereare more than 200,000 ha, andfadama areas are found in manyother states as well. Imagine thecapacity for producing high-value agricultural crops if theirrigation potential of lands isdeveloped.”

Following are abbreviated comments prepared

by Dr Gebisa Ejeta, Professor of Plant Breeding

and Genetics, Purdue University, during a case

study presentation on the SG 2000 programme

that was made at the World Food Prize

Symposium, “Food Security and the Future of sub-

Saharan Africa,” October 17, 1997, Des Moines,

Iowa. Dr Gebisa, an Ethiopian by birth, has spent

a career developing improved sorghum varieties

and hybrids, especially suited for Africa.

I have been following the activities of the

Sasakawa-Global 2000 Programme since its

inception in the mid 1980s. Though I have

paid attention to their efforts in Zambia,

Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia, I was a little

more involved in their early efforts in Sudan.

I was the plant breeder responsible for the

development of Hageen Dura-1, the

commercial sorghum hybrid which SG 2000

took up as one of the first technologies to

promote in Sudan. As a result of that

intervention and subsequent government

support (and despite the current embargo

and international isolation imposed on

Sudan) over 80,000 ha of this hybrid is grown

annually. None of this existed in 1986 when

SG 2000 started in Sudan.

It was in these early efforts in Sudan and

during subsequent activities that I sensed the

power of the SG 2000 approach, its likely

success, and its efficacy under the African

cultural and social environment. The SG 2000

approach has had success in most country

projects. However, it is in Ethiopia that it

struck its true magic.

What has taken place over the last five

years is the beginning of a remarkable

agricultural revolution: an aggressive farmer

education programme, which encourages the

use of improved seed, judicious use of

fertilisers and recommended agronomic

practices, combined with a credit support

system, increased fertiliser imports and

Identifying agriculture asthe engine of change

availability, price liberalisation and, most of all,

an unprecedented government backing and

devotion to the agricultural enterprise.

Many educational, research and extension

organisations, international and national – and

too numerous to mention – here deserve

credit for laying the institutional foundations

for agricultural change we are witnessing

today.

The government of Meles Zenawi deserves

due credit for identifying agriculture as the

engine of change, for seizing the opportunity

of the SG 2000 initiative, and for launching an

expanded and ambitious agricultural

extension agenda, and backing it up with

significant national resource commitment and

unreserved attention.

Finally, the ever-resilient Ethiopian farmers

deserve our glowing praise, for bouncing out

of the war, misery and hopelessness

perpetuated by the regime of Mengistu

Hailemariam, and for embracing the new

change with hope, desire, and a zeal that

literally has to be seen to be believed.

The significance of the agricultural change

in Ethiopia, to me, is that it was made possible

through a conventional approach of

extending modern agronomic practices and

not as a result of another round of

rationalisation for paradigm change, which

has come to characterise African technical

assistance over the past two decades.

For too long, detractors of Green

Revolution technologies have argued that

modern varieties and crop management

practices won’t work in the Dark Continent.

The success of the Norman Borlaug

approach proves that there are niches and

aspects of African agriculture that can be

addressed through conventional science-

based approaches, provided that a concerted

technology transfer effort is properly planned

and executed within the right policy

environment.

3

The plans were laid at theSeventh African RegionalConference on Dracunculiasisheld in Bamako, Mali, early inApril.

The 18 countries outsideSudan have made remarkableprogress in reducing the 3.5million cases of Guinea wormrecorded in 1986, decreasingtheir burden of the disease bymore than 95 percent. Pakistanwas the first country toeliminate the disease throughan organised programme. In1997, it was officially certifiedby the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) as beingfree of Guinea worm disease.This was a satisfying victory forThe Carter Center, sincePakistan began its eradicationprogramme in 1986 at thepersonal urging of formerUS President Jimmy Carter andwas supported by the Center’sGlobal 2000 programme andthe Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC).

“Pakistan’s certification was amilestone in our Guinea wormeradication effort,” saidPresident Carter. “Only onedisease, smallpox, has beeneradicated. With more than a95 percent reduction rateworldwide, Guinea worm nowis poised to be the second.”Provisional data for 1997 showsthat India has been free ofGuinea worm for more than ayear, the time necessary tobreak the life cycle of theGuinea worm. Cameroon,Senegal, Yemen, and Chad havereported only 1, 4, 7 and 25indigenous cases respectively,for 1997.

However, despite thesebold achievements andimpressive case reductions inBenin, Cote d’Ivoire, and Mali,the total number of casesreported for 1997 amongendemic countries outsideSudan will be almost the sameas for 1996. This situation isdue primarily to increasedcases reported in Ethiopia,Ghana, Niger and Nigeria.

Problem in Sudan

The vast majority of Guineaworm cases are located inSudan. At the end of 1996,almost 80 percent of allreported cases were in thatcountry. “Sudan has been

embroiled in civil warfor more than 15 yearsand represents thebiggest challenge toeradicating Guineaworm,” said DonaldHopkins, MD, associateExecutive Director of theCarter Center and leader ofthe eradication initiative.“Health workers find thattracking existing cases isextremely difficult, andprevention efforts areimpossible to undertake inareas where there is fighting.Only when the war ends willSudan have a real opportunityto rid itself of this devastatingdisease.”

GUINEA WORMlaunching the final assault

Despite the ongoingSudanese war and otherchallenges, the worldwidecoalition fighting Guinea worm,led by Global 2000, worksdiligently to ensure that everysingle Guinea worm case isdetected and contained.

Global 2000, the international health and agriculture arm ofThe Carter Center – and SAA’s partner in the SG 2000 programme –is launching a final assault in the battle against the debilitatingGuineaworm disease (dracunculiasis).

Teaching villagers preventiontechniques, such as filtering water,will help eliminate the parasite.

continued on next page

Photos: Billy Howard

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SAA’s agroprocessingprogramme, conducted incollaboration with theInternational Institute ofTropical Agriculture (IITA),national Ministries ofAgriculture, and variousNGOs, continued to expand itsoperations in 1997.

“While Ghana and Beninremained our primary area ofoperation,” comments ToshiroMado, SAA ProgrammeOfficer-in-Charge, “we alsoconducted fielddemonstrations of improvedcrop post-productiontechnologies and equipment inTogo, Guinea, Nigeria, BurkinaFaso, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda.In addition to ourdemonstration work of foodprocessing equipment andtechnologies to farmers’groups, we also are reachingout to local manufacturers tostrengthen their capacity tofabricate such equipment.”

The equipment and processtechnologies, developed by thestaff of IITA’s Post-harvestDevelopment Unit, serve abroad range of postharvestneeds – from grain shellers andthreshers, to cassava chippers,graters, presses, to improvedfireplaces, to flour mills. Bothhand- and motor-poweredmodels are available for mostequipment.

Agroprocessing:adding value to production

The IITA-SAA partnershiphas been very effective andproductive. IITA staff areresponsible for developing andmodifying prototypeequipment as required toserve the needs of small-scalefarmers, and also provide thevital manufacturers’ training tolocal fabricators. SAA staff andnational organisations focusedon working with farmersgroups who will use the new

Postharvest processing in Guinea:a multi-crop thresher has beenimported from IITA and threshers arenow being manufactured locally.

At the Bamako conference,President Carter, former Malianhead of state General AmadouToumani Touré, and healthworkers from all endemiccountries urged citizens tolaunch a final, massive assaultagainst the parasite. Countryrepresentatives exchangedideas on helping villagers stayfocused on eradication, and anexhibit of creative educational

materials and uniqueprevention devices wasdisplayed.

The international donorcommunity is also continuingthe fight against Guinea worm.American Home Products(formerly American Cyanamid)has made another significantdonation of the larvicide, Abate,in addition to in-kind donationsof filter cloth received fromDuPont and Precision Fabricsand vehicles from Keidanren.

Valuable financial contributionsrecently have been made toThe Carter Center’s Guineaworm eradication effort byCanada, Denmark, Finland,Japan, Luxembourg, theNetherlands, Norway, Qatar,the United Kingdom, and theUnited States, as well as fromthe Kuwait Fund and the OPECFund. Some of these have beenchannelled through a specialnew trust fund established andheld by the World Bank, with

The Carter Center asexecuting agency. This is thefirst time a non-governmentalagency has ever been named tosuch a position.

“The new World Bank trustfund for dracunculiasiseradication is indicative of theimmense commitment of theglobal community,” saidPresident Carter. “Such strongsupport is critical as we beginthe final push to wipe out thisancient scourge.”

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GUINEA WORM

members and US$ 3 million indeposits, these CREP membershave the financial means,especially when organised ingroups, to purchase a range ofharvesting and agroprocessingequipment needed to developnew business enterprises.

During August 1998, SAAand IITA will jointly sponsor aTraining Course/Workshop,titled, “Development andDissemination of ImprovedCrop Post-ProductionTechnologies in sub-SaharanAfrica.” Hands-on training, ledby IITA scientists Y W Jeonand L Halos-Kim, will beoffered to some 24postharvest specialists fromSG 2000 project countries. Atthe end of the two-weekcourse, participants willpresent the specificpostharvest developmentaction plans they havedeveloped for each of theircountries, to an internationalworkshop made up of donorsand government leadersresponsible for funding suchinitiatives.

“Adding value to agriculturalproduction,” says ChrisDowswell, SAA Director forProgramme Co-ordination, “iscentral to increased prosperityin sub-Saharan Africa.”

Linked as it is to SG 2000’sefforts to assist small-scalefarmers intensify food cropproduction, the SAA/IITAagroprocessing project is animportant strategy towardsachieving this objective.

technology. During 1997, morethan 3,000 farmers in Ghanaalone participated in 48 fielddemonstrations, with severalthousand more attending suchdemonstrations in otherSG 2000 project countries.

FINANCIAL MEANS

The purchase of various typesof equipment is increasingrapidly. In 1997, farmerspurchased several hundredpieces of equipment, worthnearly US$ 60,000. Purchasesby farmers from organisedsavings and credit organisations(CREPs) in Benin have beenespecially strong. With 15,000

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Extensionists fromMozambique are nowbenefiting from theSAFE programme

Following a visit by DeolaNaibakelao to Maputo,Custodio Mucavele,Technical Director ofExtension at DNER, thenational extension service,will be taking his Masters inExtension and Economics atthe University of Pretoriaunder Professor Jan VanRooyen. This is being fundedpartly through the SouthernAfrica DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) andSAA through SAFE.

Inacio Nhancale, Head ofTraining at DNER, will betaking his BSc in extension atthe University of CapeCoast, also with a SAFEscholarship.

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Four universities on courseThe Sasakawa Africa Fund forExtension Education (SAFE),established in 1992, has twocomplementary and paralleltasks – to create opportunitiesfor outstanding front-lineextension staff from SG 2000project countries in obtaininghigher academic qualifications,while strengthening extensioncurricula in selected Africanuniversities of agriculture. Apartfrom curriculum enhancement,institution building includes theacquisition of teaching andreference materials andnetworking among theparticipating universities – thushelping to build strongpan-African academic links.

The new BSc course formid-career extensionistsstarted last year at Ethiopia’sAlemaya University ofAgriculture (AUA) with a firstbatch of 30 students from 4 ofthe country’s 11 regions. Afurther 5 regions signedagreements with AUA in Augustand provided candidates for asecond intake of 21 whichstarted in October thus bringingthe total number of students upto 51. Plans for this year includeagreements between AUA andthe two remaining regionalgovernments. Under theseagreements, the regionalgovernments undertake torelease their staff on study leavewith full salary and take themback after graduation. They alsoprovide support to the studentsduring their Supervised

Enterprise Projects (SEPs) –undertaken in the field.

A workshop held at AUA lastDecember, involving theMinistry of Agriculture, the staffof AUA and students, provideda further understanding of whatthe field extension projects orSEPs were expected to achieve.At the workshop, the studentspresented and defended theirproject proposals before theiremployers and AUA staff.

MUTUALLY REWARDING

“The students of the first intakehave applied themselvesdiligently, revealing animpressive level ofcommitment,” commentedSAA’s Deola Naibakelao, whoruns the SAFE programme fromGhana. “The experience theybrought with them to Alemayahas proved to be mutuallyrewarding for staff andstudents.”

At the University of CapeCoast – where SAFE was firstlaunched – there are 79 studentscurrently involved in theprogramme: 27 post diploma,25 third year post certificateand 27 first year post certificate.The post-diploma students havebeen engaged in their off-campus SEPs this February.

They should complete theirstudies in August/Septemberand graduate in March 1999.

The immediate task at UCC isto consolidate the progressmade since the inception of theprogramme. This will includecorrecting any shortcomingswhile institutionalising the SEPscomponent of the curriculum.Grant proposals will shortly bedrawn up to be presented tonational and international donororganisations to support theextension training programme –particularly the off-campus SEPs.

It is also hoped, in 1998, toreach a final decision on anagricultural college – hopefullyKwadaso Agricultural College inKumasi – to handle the trainingof certificate holders todiploma. The diplomaprogramme should bedeveloped and launched in the1999 academic year.

In Tanzania, SokoineUniversity of Agriculture (SUA)

Two MSc sponsored students at theUniversity of Ghana, Legon, workingon their data analysis with theassistance of the instructor (left).Second left is Dr Joe Geker, theacademic superviser. The students’degree course has been sponsoredby SAFE.

is now ready to launch its BScAgricultural Education andExtension Degree Programmefor mid-career extensionworkers. The curriculum hasbeen finalised by the universitycouncil. Funds are now beingsought to enable the programmeto start as soon as possible. Inthe meantime SAFE will sponsorand facilitate a small workshopwith staff of SUA and UCC toclarify and streamline theimplementation of SEPs.

In Uganda, MakerereUniversity launched, inNovember 1997, a BSc inAgricultural Extension andEducation for mid-careerextension workers – the fourthAfrican university to be broughtinto the programme. The firsttwelve students have beenenrolled, including one fromKenya. It is expected that asecond batch of 24 students willenrol later this year.

The SAFE programme is run incollaboration with WinrockInternational Institute forAgricultural Development,headquartered in Arkansas, USA.

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SG 2000country profilesA round-up of project activities inproject countries

BURKINA FASO

ERITREA

BENIN

The Nahouri Province was thefirst to be selected for theMinistry of Agriculture/SG 2000field demonstration programmein 1996. Fifty-five kilometresfrom Pô, and close to theborder with Ghana, the villageof Boala is at the centre of acotton growing area with millet,sorghum and rice as the mainfood crops. When theprogramme started, maize waslimited to scattered fields,infested with weeds. Today, the

cropping landscape is rapidlychanging.

Fifty farmers in the area wereoffered two varieties of maize –the QPM Obatanpa from Ghanaand SR 21, a streak resistantvariety with some droughttolerance. With guidance fromMinistry of Agricultureextension staff, the farmers ofBoala first protected their fieldsby building dykes to reduce soilerosion, made phosphate rockenriched compost pits, and then

Persistent and excessive rainscaused serious damage in late1997 and early 1998 toEritrea’s food crops. Some ofthe damage was due toshattering (as in the case ofteff) but, with other crops,such as barley, wheat andsorghum, mould that grew onthe head of the crop severelyaffected or spoiled the qualityof the grain.

In the 1998/99 season,SG 2000 will sponsor 5,000farmers on 0.25 ha plots, FAOwill sponsor 5,000 farmers,

with the Eritrean governmentsupporting a further 40,000farmers. The objective is to havea total of 50,000 farmersgrowing demonstration plots.

“The strong financial backingbeing given by the governmentfor the field demonstrationprogramme,” says MarcoQuiñones, SG 2000 CountryDirector, “gives me real hopethat the diffusion of improvedcrop technology to Eritreanfarmers will continue, long afterSG 2000 ceases to operate inthe country.”

The field programme in Beninmainly focused in 1997 ondemonstrating a new high-yielding quality protein maize(QPM) variety, and on improvedrice production. The work tointroduce the green manurecrop, velvet bean (mucuna utilis),has been brought to aconclusion, since this technologyhas ‘taken off’, adopted by morethan 100,000 farm families overthe past four years.

Increasing lowland riceproduction continues to be akey area for SG 2000 support in1998. Benin is importing morethan 50,000 tonnes of riceannually, vastly exceedingproduction.

The CREP movement (thesavings and loan associations forfarmers and other members ofthe local community) continuesto expand. By the end of 1997,there were 50 CREPs wellestablished in Benin with 15,000members and deposits of US$ 3million. Loans to members nowexceed US$ 700,000, and low

repayments are nearly 100%.The CREPs are serving as a

vehicle to finance cropproduction as well asagroprocessing enterprises.At a field day in October 1997,1,597 rice growers from fiveCREPs, including 572 womenfarmers, raised a total ofUS$ 66,000 – for the purchaseof 250 tons of fertiliser for riceproduction. At the field day,agroprocessing equipment wasalso demonstrated including amotorised rice thresher;increased sales of thesemachines are anticipated.

“Rice production, using therecommended package, is veryprofitable,” comments MarcelGaliba, Country Supervisor.“Using the CREP to supportaccess to inputs,” Galiba adds,“is a real step towardssustainable development. As aresult, an increasing number offarmers are turning to riceproduction and using improvedvarieties and fertiliser, mainlyDAP.”

Burkina – the QPM varietyMa Songo (‘good mother’ in thelocal language) from Obatanpa seedfrom Ghana. The maize isintercropped with cowpea.

applied the recommendedtechnological package to theirmaize fields. An average maizeyield of 4,500 kg/ha wasrecorded, with the maize alsointer-cropped with lablab. Fielddays were organised in whichfarmers from neighbouringvillages participated. Theresponse was enthusiastic.Indeed, SG 2000 could notsupport all the farmers whowanted to join the scheme.

Boala has now become afocal point for the sale ofObatanpa and SR 21 maizevariety seed. Increasing from 50farmers in 1996, nearly 500

farmers planted maize in 1997,and the numbers are expectedto exceed 1,000 in 1998. TheGhanaian QPM maize variety,Obatanpa, has been given aname in the local language, MaSongo, meaning ‘good mother’.

Collaboration betweenSG 2000/Ministry ofAgriculture, Hydro AgriInternational and Novartis hasbeen established to helpextend the reach and impact ofthe field demonstrationprogramme. These companiesare providing product andtechnical expertise to backstopthe technological packages. Inaddition, the companies areworking with their localpartners to extend inputdistribution systems to thevillage level.

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ETHIOPIA

GHANA A report, recently released bythe FAO, indicates thatEthiopia’s 1997/98 mainharvest of cereals and pulsesmay be 25% below last year’sestimated figures. The reportwas produced following anFAO/World Food Programmecrop and food supplyassessment mission, whichvisited Ethiopia in November-December 1997.

The mission has forecast a1997/98 main harvest of 8.8million tons of cereals andpulses and estimates total grainimport requirements of530,000 tons in 1998. Thisincludes 420,000 tons of foodaid for relief to 5.3 million ruralpeople affected by poorharvests and structuralpoverty. The rest of theshortfall is expected to becovered by commercialimports.

“In spite of these problems itis worth noting that the1997/98 harvest will still besimilar in size to 1995/96,which was the second highestharvest in Ethiopia’s history,”comments Marco Quiñones,SG 2000’s Country Director.

The reduction in productionis mainly attributed to thefailure of the rains during theminor season, which usuallyprovides for 15% of totalnational production. This wasfollowed by late, low anderratic rainfall during the mainseason. The problem was alsoexacerbated by unusually heavyrainfall at harvesting time. Afurther factor was a 20%decrease in the use offertiliser due to the removal ofsubsidies.

Prime Minister MelesZenawi has publicly declaredthat his government is aimingto reach at least two millionfarmers in 1998 with improvedtechnology through thenational extension programme.“With such fantasticgovernment commitment,”notes Quiñones, “SG 2000 hasdrastically cut back its directactivities in support of fielddemonstrations. Only 1,000plots are planned for 1998:about 600 in wheat,demonstrating line planting;300 in sorghum, using strigaresistant varieties developedby Purdue University scientists,

SG 2000’s Ghana project, itsoldest, is in a Phase II mode ofoperation, with onlymaintenance budgets forselected activities. The Ministryof Food and Agriculture(MOFA) field demonstrationprogramme, operated by theextension department,continues to establish around2,000 extension test plots(ETPs) with selected farmersthroughout the nation. ETPs in1997 included more vegetablecrops (pepper, eggplant),especially in areas nearer urbancentres. A number of rice andcowpea ETPs were alsoplanted.

The Crops ResearchInstitute (CRI) released twonew quality protein maize(QPM) hybrids, and aconsiderable number of ETPs in1998 are planned todemonstrate these new QPMmaterials.

After a decline in availabilityof certified maize seed in 1997,production has been increaseddue to higher prices and thelargest volume of seed to date

will be available in 1998. Of atotal of maize seed productionof 1,140 tonnes in 1997, theQPM variety, Obatanpa,consisted of 840 tonnes.

The collaboration withMonsanto in no-till farmingcontinues to strengthen. Thisform of conservation farming isfinally taking off, as morefarmers deepen their skills inemploying this technology.Several hundred ETPs in BrongAhafo and Ashanti regions aredemonstrating the no-tillagetechnology.

Ghana’s National Soil FertilityAction Plan has now beencompleted. The Plan calls foremphasis on agriculturalintensification. It further statesthat “loss in soil fertilitymandates that immediate actionbe taken to increase the use ofmineral fertiliser if we are tohave sustainable production.”The interdisciplinary Ghanaian/International FertiliserDevelopment Centre (IFDC)team of experts was led byDr C S Ofori and the studyfinanced by the World Bank.

in collaboration withresearchers at the EthiopianInstitute for AgriculturalResearch (IAR); and 100 lateblight-resistant potatovarieties.”

However, Quiñones notes,“SG 2000 will significantlyincrease its activities to assistfrontline extension workers tointroduce improved on-farmpostharvest grain storagesystems.”

Finally, SG 2000 efforts arealso planned to promote thedevelopment of community-based agroprocessingenterprises.

President Carter with farmers inEthiopia last year.

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GUINEA

The SG 2000 programme inGuinea is “well integrated withSNPRV (Service National de laPromotion Rurale et laVulgarisation), the nationalextension service,” saysSG 2000 Country DirectorTareke Berhe.

Over 1,400 farmersparticipated in the SG 2000programme during 1997 in fourregions covering 17 districts.The primary focus of the fielddemonstration programme wasrice, Guinea’s staple food. Inaddition, plots were establishedto demonstrate the greenmanure crop, mucuna, as wellas groundnuts, soybeans,potatoes, and vegetable crops,such as tomatoes and okra.Quality protein maize (QPM)seeds were introduced fromGhana. Despite inputconstraints, results wereencouraging with yields of up to4.5 t/ha in both the maize andrice plots.

In 1997, SG 2000 alsosupported six research centresto carry out various lines ofexperimentation, mostly onfarmers’ fields. Individualfarmers have also beencontracted to produce seed forthe programme.

In 1998, the number ofparticipating farmers isexpected to double with theprogramme extending into twomore regions, each with fivedistricts. Input delivery shouldimprove this year with the entryof new private enterprises.

Postharvest processing is animportant part of theprogramme with theimportation of a multicropthresher from IITA. In addition,two Guinean machinists weregiven one month of fabricationtraining in Benin. The twomachinists have nowmanufactured two threshersand are expected tomanufacture ten more in 1998.Local manufacturing of otherIITA equipment (a cassava

processing machine and a ricepolisher) is also expected tobegin in 1998.

SG 2000 helped to establish,in 1997, five women’s groups,with 200 women farmers, toproduce vegetables and othercrops. Inputs were loaned togrow potatoes, tomatoes, okra

MALI

The village-based savings andloans movement which hasproved so successful in Beninand Togo – the Caisse Ruraled’Epargne et de Prêt, or CREP –was launched in Mali in 1997 inclose collaboration with theMinistry of Rural Development

and Water. The CREP bringstogether the key members ofthe local community (farmers,small traders, artisans and cattleowners) who are prepared tocontribute resources andcreate their own village bank aspart of a savings and loansassociation.

The CREP movement hasrapidly established a foothold in

and quality protein maize. Fourof the groups have repaid theirloans with the fifth expected todo so soon. In 1998 it isanticipated that more than 15women’s groups will participatein the scheme.

Representatives from the fivewomen’s grower groups and

Guinean farmer Ibrahima Sherifshows off his successful rice harvest.

five extension workers went toGhana in 1997 for a one weektraining course on the utilisationof QPM and soybeans in nationaldishes. On their return toGuinea they conducted follow-up training courses for theirremaining members, which wereenthusiastically received.

Combating soil degradation, amajor problem in Guinea, isbeing tackled through thepromotion of mucuna andvetiver (a lush, sturdy and deeprooted grass used for thecontrol of soil erosion). Themucuna area should increase toaround 300 ha in 1998. Theresidual effects of mucuna onrice and maize yields are beingstudied at Kilisi and Bordoresearch stations.

Mali. The region of Segou wasselected for Mali’s first CREPsand, by the end of the year, fiveof the nine initially formed hadcompleted the formalities ofofficial registration andorganisation.

Membership of these first fiveCREPs has reached 655 farmers,270 of whom are women. Initialdeposits exceeded US$ 4000.

A ceremony to launch Mali’s firstCREPs – at Zambougou in Segouregion. The CREP savings and loansmovement has proved highlysuccessful in Benin and Togo.

9

MOZAMBIQUE

This project is in a Phase Imode of operation andcontinues to grow in scope. Thefield demonstrationprogramme being developedwith the Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries (MOAF)extension service focuses onimproved maize and riceproduction. SG 2000 CountryDirector Wayne Haag reportsthat “about 800 demonstrationplots (670 maize, 130 rice) areplanned for 1998 in Manica,Nampula, and Cabo Delgadoprovinces – also in Gaza andSofala provinces in rice.”

At present, high-yieldingmaize varieties (Manica-SR,Matuba and SEMOC-1)developed by the nationalresearch organisation (INIA)and the national seedcorporation (SEMOC) arebeing demonstrated. However,work is under way to identifyand release a suitable QPMvariety for use by small-scalefarmers.

Conservation tillage is partof the recommendedproduction package. Monsantois collaborating with nationalresearch and extensionorganisations and SG 2000 to

develop the bestrecommendations for thistechnology.

Efforts initiated in 1996 and1997 to develop a network ofinput distributors to servefarmers in areas wheredemonstration plots are beinggrown, are producing results.More than 20 input stockistswill be operating in such areasin 1998, supplying farmers withimproved seed, fertilisers, cropprotection chemicals andvarious farm tools.

The International FertiliserIndustry Association (IFA) will

“This is an encouraging start,”comments Country DirectorMarcel Galiba, “we regard theestablishment of the CREPmovement in Mali as a key partof our programme.”

The introduction fromGhana of the QPM variety,

Obatanpa, in the Projet deBaguineda (a 3,000 ha irrigationproject 30 kilometres fromBamako) has led to its adoptionby 400 farmers on 200 ha ofland. Rice is the main crop inthis area from June to Octoberbut local farmers, following

maize field demonstrations lastyear, have enthusiasticallyembraced Obatanpa as an off-season crop. Hydro AgriInternational has donated 25tonnes of fertiliser from its bulkblending facility in Abidjan, Coted’Ivoire, to help expand the

Ministry/SG 2000 fielddemonstration programme.“Blended fertilisers have moreprecise nutrient formulas,” saysMarcel Galiba, “which aretailored to the specific needs ofthe crop on which it is beingused.”

hold its regional conference forAfrica in Maputo in June. TheFertiliser Society of SouthAfrica and SG 2000 have beeninvolved in the development ofthe conference programme.Mozambique is one of severalcountries in Africa which are atan ‘operational’ level in theFAO Special Programme forFood Security. The Maputoconference is linked to theFAO initiative.

Meanwhile MOAF andSG 2000 have been workingclosely with IFDC. SeveralMozambicans attended IFDCworkshops and trainingprogrammes in South Africa,Kenya and Togo in 1997. InApril-May 1998, IFDC willconduct a fertiliser sectorstudy ti identify the beststrategies to expand fertiliseruse in Mozambique. The results

of that study will be presentedat the IFA workshop.

The programme to promotecollaboration between MOAF,INIA and Brazil’s researchorganisation EMBRAPA on arange of agricultural researchissues, including soil fertilityand QPM, strengthened in1997. With support from theWorld Bank and SG 2000,former MOAF Vice MinisterJosé Pacheco led a team toBrazil in July 1997 to visitvarious centres – the nationalresearch corporation(EMBRAPA) as well as theMinas Gerais state extensionorganisation (EMATER MG).This visit was followed up byan EMBRAPA team visit toMozambique in October. Outof these exchanges, asignificant programme ofscientific and technical co-operation has been developedbetween Mozambican andBrazilian institutions. It isscheduled to begin in 1998 andcontinue into the nextcentury.

Fernando Mavie, (right) ofMozambique’s DNER (RuralExtension Directorate) who is alsoSG 2000’s liaison officer – with aparticipating farmer in ManicaProvince.

Data obtained between May and July last year involving 155 maize farmers participating in the SG 2000 project inNampula and Manica provinces has now been analysed. Data was divided into lower, middle and upper yieldterciles. Net income was calculated using a grain price of US$ 128 per tonne. Prices ranged from a low of $40 toover $200 per tonne from May 1997 to February 1998.

In the upper two yield groupings, yields and net income were promising, supporting the use of the technical package.In the lower tercile, yields were low resulting in net losses. However several low yielding plots suffered from severeflooding or drought and in many cases the full technology was not applied. Lack of acceptable weed control wasthe most obvious problem in low yielding fields.

Information supplied by MOAF, DNER (Rural extension directorate), MSU/USAID/MOAF Food Security Project and SG 2000.

Manica (78 farmers) Nampula (77 farmers)

Tercile 1 2 3 1 2 3

Mean yield Kg/ha 1023 2374 3883 724 2163 3611

Net income US$/ha (45) 131 309 (27) 148 323

10

Nigeria’s SG 2000 Country DirectorJosé Antonio Valencia, withextentionists and farmers.

Safiya Tukur, Director General in theMinistry of Agriculture and NaturalResources, Kaduna State, addressesdelegates at last year’s national maizeworkshop.

Ways to control the menacingparasitic weed striga is a majorresearch and production objectivein Nigerian agriculture.

started concentrating mainly inareas infested with striga, againtargeting 12 farmers in eachstate. High-yielding, disease-resistant cassava varieties, too,were introduced during the wetseason – with three cassavavarieties from IITA beingdemonstrated. Cassavaperforms well, with little or nofertiliser being used, in thenorthern part of Nigeria.

This year some 1,500 farmerswill grow new wheat MTPs inJigawa, Kano and Katsina – withBauchi and Gombe beingallocated 40 MTPs each. Maizeplots will be increased by 3,300,which will also include Bauchiand Gombe. All technicalaspects of the programme havebeen developed jointly betweenSG 2000 and the ADPs,although funding for these newexpansions is coming from theNigerian government.

For the second year running,SG 2000 has collaborated inadaptive wheat research workwith scientists from AhmaduBello University in Zaria and theLake Chad Research Institute inMaiduguri.

NIGERIA

Over 11,000 farmers haveparticipated in the SG 2000programme in Nigeria since1992, planting wheat and maizemanagement training plots(MTPs) in the four northernstates of Kano, Kaduna, Jigawaand Katsina.

“Irrigated wheat yields in thefadama riveraine belt have beenexcellent,” comments SG 2000Country Director José AntonioValencia. “Wheat yields haveaveraged above 3 t/ha,” he notes,“with the top 10% of plotsyielding in excess of 4 t/ha.Wheat prices have been runningaround US$ 300 per tonne,making wheat a very attractivecrop for fadama farmers.”

Maize yields in theprogramme are also quitespectacular. In the rainfed areasof Kaduna state, hybrid maizeyields have averaged between4 and 5 t/ha. In Kano and Jigawastates, where fadama farmersuse supplemental irrigation,maize yields have consistentlyaveraged over 5 t/ha of maize,

with the top 10% of plotsyielding more than 7 t/ha.

The AgriculturalDevelopment Projects (ADPs)in Bauchi and Gombe states,which are responsible foragricultural extension, havetaken up the MTP fieldprogramme methodology ofSG 2000. Moreover, theFederal Ministry of Agricultureand the Federal AgriculturalCo-ordination Unit (FACU)have been actively promotingthis technology transferapproach in other states.

The successful introductionin Kano and Jigawa of newvarieties of wheat seed, such asSeri, has led to seed requestfrom most of the northernstates where wheat can besuccessfully grown, as well asfrom the Republic of Niger.SG 2000 supplied 300 kg of Seriseed to the National ResearchInstitute of Niger (INRAN) formultiplication and on-farmevaluation.

As a result of a joint seedmultiplication programme, newIITA cowpea seed varietieswere introduced last year on36 MTPs in Kano, Katsina andJigawa states. Last September,92 farmers and extensionistsattended a two day course ofcowpea production and storagein Kano – also attended byofficials of the Kano StateAgricultural and RuralDevelopment Authority(KNARDA), IITA scientists andSG 2000. Similarly, incollaboration with IITA, asoybean programme was

A national workshop onwheat production was held inKano State in February this year.Organised by SG 2000 incollaboration with the LakeChad Research Institute (LCRI),the Federal AgriculturalCo-ordinating Unit (FACU), andthe Agricultural developmentprogrammes of Kano, Jigawa,Katsina and Bauchi states, it wasattended by a wide range ofpolicy makers, scientists,agricultural extension workers,flower millers, representativesof agrochemical companies,farm leaders and farmers.

TANZANIA

Unfavourable weatherconditions severely affectedTanzania’s agricultural sector in1997. The failure of the shortrains and the lateness of thelong rains had a serious impacton crop production. This wasthen further compounded byexcessive rains, reportedly theresult of the El Niño factor.Food import requirements for1998 are estimated at 700,000tonnes for maize, 28,000 tonnesfor wheat and 22,000 tonnes forbeans. However, the need torepair the transportationinfrastructure after the ravagesof El Niño may well be thegreatest challenge of all.

As a Phase II project country,SG 2000 only supports areduced set of activities inTanzania. In 1997, the mainprogramme components weremaize-pigeonpea intercroppingsystems, animal traction,phosphorus enriched compostmaking, postharvest technology,and savings and creditco-operative societies.

In 1997 eight Savings andCredit Co-operative Societies(SACCOs) were formed; by yearend, they had accrued savings ofUS$ 30,000. Ministry ofAgriculture officials are verypleased with these initialsuccesses and plan to mobilise

11

UGANDA

SG 2000 and the Ministry ofAgriculture, Animal Industriesand Fisheries (MAAIF), made anencouraging start in Uganda lastyear to introduce a dynamiccrop demonstrationprogramme into the nationalextension system. More than500 demonstration plots wereestablished in seven districts.Despite high input prices, theprofit from these plots wasgood in 1997, due to very goodgrain prices in the marketplace(above US$ 250 /tonne).

SG 2000 and MAAIF nowplan to expand their joint cropdemonstration programme tofourteen districts in 1998, withsome 1,500 maizedemonstration plots to beestablished with selectedfarmers. Input packages arebeing assembled for 1,200m2

plots, which include two kg ofseed, five kg of DAP and five kgof urea. A further 10,000 sets ofthese maize input packs(improved seed and fertiliserfor 1,200m2) will also beproduced and promoted inareas with demonstration plotsby co-operating input stockists.The national maize seedorganisation, as well as twomajor fertiliser suppliers, arenow packing seed and fertiliserin units that correspond withSG 2000’s maize demonstrationpackage.

In 1998 SG 2000 expects tostart seed multiplicationprogrammes for pigeonpeas,beans and Dolichos lablab to

provide sufficient seed ofappropriate companion cropsfor cereals in the variousfarming systems within theproject area. Verification plotsfor sorghum and millet will becarried out in the morenortherly and eastern locationsof Uganda. SG 2000 also plansto help farmers grow around200 acres of cassava resistant to

Issah Katambala, his baby brother –and newly harvested maize. Theirfather, Habidu Katambala, has just hada harvest of 26 bags from his 1,200m2

plot using MAAIF/SG 2000 technicaladvice and supervision: quite a changefrom the eight bags he used to get,using traditional methods.

many more farmers’ groups toform SACCOs in 1998.

Efforts continue to spread thebenefits of ‘phospho-composting’ technology, whichwas introduced into the Iringaregion during 1996/97. In thistechnology, phosphate rock isinter-mixed with organiccompost materials.Subsequently naturaldecomposition and acidulationhelps to convert the

phosphorus into an availableform for plant uptake. Severalhundred farmers are expectedto adopt this technology in thesouthern highlands during 1998,through the combined efforts ofthe Ministry of Agriculture,SG 2000, and IFAD.

The Ministry of Agricultureextension staff plan to expandthe number of farmersparticipating in pigeonpeaproduction (inter-cropped with

maize) in the Arusha andKilimanjaro regions. Thedemonstration programme,which aims to improve soilfertility, reduce the cost of maizeproduction, and provide betternutrition, grew from 300 acres in1996 to 500 in 1997. The targetthis year is 900 farmers onone-acre plots.

SG 2000 Country Supervisor,Marco Quiñones, is intensifyinghis efforts on the agricultural

policy front. Objectives includethe incorporation of input-assisted demonstration plots asa central feature of the nationalextension service; further grainmarket liberalisation, especiallyfor maize; increased efforts todevelop a national seed system,involving both public, private,and non-governmentalorganisations; and furtherdevelopment of a village-basedinput delivery system.

African cassava mosaic virus.These farmers will provide asource for improved materialsto other farmers. Uganda’snational cassava programmeand IITA have allocated originalplanting materials for thisscheme.

Training programmes forfarmers with complimentaryactivities such as animal tractionand post-harvest will beexpanded in 1998.

“Farmers participating in theMAAIF/SG 2000demonstration programme arebecoming increasinglyconcerned about grain storage

capacity and methods as theybegin to see their yieldsincrease,” says Country DirectorAbu-Michael Foster. Dryingdown maize and its safe storagestill pose a major challenge toachieving food security inUganda.

SG 2000 also plans tocollaborate with theGovernment of Uganda and theWorld Bank in co-hosting anagricultural policy workshop inMay, which will include ahigh-level meeting of theAgribusiness Forum, similar tothe one held in Addis Ababa lastSeptember (see article, page 12).

12

ACE UPDATE

AGRIBUSINESS FORUM ETHIOPIA:

Identifying constraints toforeign investmentsIn February 1997,President Carter hosted ameeting of corporateleaders from six majoragribusinesses, the WorldBank, and senior SG 2000management at the CarterCentre in Atlanta, toexplore how best toaccelerate private sectorinvestment in agriculturein sub-Saharan Africa.

Out of this meeting SG 2000established the AgribusinessForum initiative, whoseprimary objective was todevelop public-private-NGOpartnerships that wouldfacilitate increased agriculturalinvestments in African nations.

The goals of this initiativeincluded, identifying:

n the main constraints toincreased private sectorinvestment in agriculturalresearch and development insub-Saharan Africa;

n ways in which economicpolicy could be improved tocreate a more conduciveinvestment environment forthe private sector, both foreignand domestic – therebyincreasing the flow of privatecapital to the region;

n what organisations, such asthe World Bank, USAID, andEuropean developmentagencies, could do to helppromote increased privateinvestment in the region;

n what was needed to developstronger partnerships amongpublic, private, and

non-government organisationsto promote the delivery tofarmers of productivity-enhancing new productiontechnology.

COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES

Participants at the inauguralmeeting in Atlanta agreed toconcentrate their initial effortsat developing collaborativeinitiatives in three countries –Ethiopia, Uganda and Mali – andto organise with nationalleaders high-level policymeetings to discuss theopportunities and constraintsfor increased private sectorinvestment in agriculture inthese nations.

The first of such nationalAgribusiness Forum meetings –which lasted most of the day –took place in Addis Ababa inAugust 1997. Chaired by PrimeMinister Meles Zenawi and DrMarco Quiñones, SG 2000’sCountry Director for Ethiopia,the meeting brought togetherkey ministers and senioradvisors concerned witheconomic development, foreigninvestment, and agriculture;senior representatives of theWorld Bank; the United States;SG 2000; and five majormultinational companiesinvolved in agribusiness inEthiopia – Cargill, Monsanto,Novartis, Pioneer Hi-bredInternational, and Hydro AgriInternational.

Ethiopian governmentofficials developed an excellentinformation packet on thecountry’s foreign investmentlaw, parastatal companies and

state farms that were up forsale, and summaries offeasibility studies in priorityareas identified for privatesector investment.

Following these formalpresentations by Ethiopiangovernment officials, themeeting was opened fordiscussion about problemsarising either with officialgovernment policies or theimplementation of suchpolicies. All the companiesrepresented at the meeting hada range of business dealings andinvestments in Ethiopia, so thediscussions were lively and tothe point.

EXCESSIVE REGULATION

The multinational businessrepresentatives expressedconcerns over the excessiveregulation of the Ethiopianeconomy; the areas of thebusiness sector excluded toforeign capital; the time taken toobtain export licenses;problems in repatriating profits;and the limitations of thetender system for imports.Access to local markets wasidentified as a key limitation forpotential investors.

In his response, the PrimeMinister said that therestrictions currently in placeon foreign investors were notpermanent and wereestablished to protect the smalllocal investor, as Ethiopiamoved from a command to amarket-oriented economy. Heacknowledged that monopolies,both private and public, stillexisted. He also was critical of

some local private investorswhose behaviour was notalways exemplary.

On the issue of land tenure,the Prime Minister said thatsmall landowners were notfree to sell their land.However, they did havesecurity of tenure. In thelowlands, he pointed out thatland was under-utilised,especially in the lowlands – thearea of greatest irrigationdevelopment potential. Thesetracts would be made availableon long-term leases at lowprices. The governmentwanted to encourage foreigninvestment specifically in thisarea.

The Prime Minister made itclear that he and his colleaguesrecognised the importance ofprivate sector investment,which had increased from 11to 19% of GDP in recent years.Still, he acknowledged thatforeign direct investment hadbeen much less than expected,and that his government waskeen to find a common groundwhich would permit muchlarger flows of capital,technology, and managerialknow-how.

G Edward Schuh, Chairmanof SG 2000’s AgriculturalCouncil of Experts (ACE),commented at the end of themeeting, “there was anexcellent exchange of ideaswith the participants beingfrank and forthcoming.However, the ‘proof of thepudding will be in the eating’,which will be reflected infurther policy reform in thefuture that provides incentivesfor private investment.”

The Addis meeting provideda neutral forum to discussforeign investment policiesand practices. It allowedsenior officials from theprivate and public sector tomeet each other and establishimportant contacts for thefuture.

13

Workshop ‘97Second generation problemsincluding “adequate ruralinfrastructure, an effectivemarketing network for inputsand outputs and the provisionof rural credit in a sustainablemanner,” were described byPrime Minister Meles Zenawi asmajor bottlenecks constrainingagricultural productivity gains in

securing the production baseDr Norman Borlaug, YoheiSasakawa, ministers ofagriculture from eight SG 2000project countries, director-generals of severalinternational research centres,senior representatives of donororganisations and major privatesector agribusinesses. Two daysof field trips were followed by

and sound policies – areapplicable to Africa,” he said,“But the task ahead is great andtime is passing too quickly.”

Workshop proceedings are currently beingpublished. For further information contactRaitt Orr & Associates.

“If we want to have thetechnology in themarketplace in the year2010, we need to starttoday”Bernard Auxenfans,Group Vice President, Monsanto

“Let us be specific aboutthe agriculture oftomorrow. The goalsmust be intensificationand investment”Michel Koutaba,Minister of Agriculture andAnimal Resources, Burkina Faso

“Why is it that theinfrastructure which isso vital to 70% of thepopulation is soinadequate? Is it due tothe quiet political voiceof the rural population?”Edward ‘Kim’ Jaycox,former vice-president for Africa,The World Bank

Ethiopia, when he openedWorkshop ‘97, held in AddisAbaba in September last year.

Meles noted that the CASIN/SG2000 workshop, entitled“Agricultural Intensification insub-Saharan Africa: Securingthe Production Base”, intendedto address these issues.

The workshop was attendedby more than 100 decisionmakers, including formerUS President Jimmy Carter,

two days of meetings. While noformal resolutions orrecommendations wereadopted, consensus on anumber of important topicswas reached and valuableinformation was exchangedand debated.

The pre-workshop tourthemes included crop/livestockdiversification andmodernisation; research andextension; developing inputdelivery systems; outputmarketing and agro-processingenterprises; and developingfinancial intermediaries.

FACING CHALLENGES

In the first workshop session –“facing the challenges of ruraldevelopment” – PresidentCarter challenged the Africanministers by asking why only 3%of foreign investments in thedeveloping world came toAfrica (and half of that to SouthAfrica). He also urged thatmicro-loans, particularly towomen, be increased and thatquality protein maize,potentially a solution to human

protein deficiency on thecontinent, be encouraged. Theministers acknowledged thattraditional agriculture depletedsoil fertility and increasederosion. In the second session,the World Bank’s GraemeDonovan urged for an increasein agricultural intensification asnecessary for economic growthand environmental protection,but lamented the slow-down infunding for agricultural research– from both national andinternational sources.

During the workshop,participants divided into groupsto identify high prioritymeasures to be decided bygovernments to ensuresustainable rural development.Emphasis was put on strategicdecisions to be taken bygovernments, agencies and theprivate sector to ensureagricultural intensification bysecuring the production base.These included identifying theareas where governmentsshould concentrate theirefforts – and those areas wherethe market should be free tooperate.

In a concluding session EdSchuh, Dean of the HubertHumphrey School, Universityof Minnesota, and Chairman ofACE, argued that povertyalleviation was the key to foodsecurity and that themodernisation of agriculturewas the key to povertyalleviation – “because it workson both production and incomeand its effects go well beyondthe agricultural sectors.”

Norman Borlaug cited thetremendous agriculturalaccomplishments that began inAsia during the 1960s and1970s. “The same principles –science-driven agriculturesupported by production inputs

Partnerships fordevelopmentDeepening areas ofco-operation between thevarious stakeholders inAfrica’s agriculturaldevelopment will be thetheme of Workshop ’98, tobe organised by the Centrefor Applied Studies inInternational Negotiations(CASIN) in Switzerland inSeptember. Entitled,“Strengthening Partnershipsfor Rural Development insub-Saharan Africa,” theworkshop will review aseries of organisationalpartnerships (many involvingSG 2000) linking agriculturalresearch, technologygeneration, agriculturalextension, marketdevelopment for agriculturalinputs and outputs, and thepromotion of collectiveaction among farmers.

Photos: Robert Grossman

14

A survey team, commissionedby The Carter Center and theUS Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), hasconcluded that “theapplication of high-yieldingagricultural science andtechnology – along withmarket reforms, tradeliberalisation, and soundmacroeconomic policies – willlead Africa to greaterprosperity. Withoutagricultural improvement,there can be no sustainedreduction in poverty. Yet weoften forget that theagricultural base in sub-Saharan Africa has not beensecured. These nations mustget back to the basics andimprove agriculturalproductivity and output.There is urgent need forgreater donor support forthese efforts.”

The team, led by Dr E TYork, Chancellor Emeritus ofthe State University System ofFlorida, and including Dr BaluBumb, Senior Economist at

Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa:

Urgent donor support neededconcludes report

the International FertiliserDevelopment Centre,Alabama; Dr John Coulter, anagronomist and soil scientistformerly with the World Bank;Dr Ralph Cummings, SeniorEconomist with USAID; andDr Michael Weber, Professor,Agricultural EconomicsDepartment at Michigan StateUniversity, spent over threeweeks visiting three countriesin which SG 2000 has beeninvolved – Ghana, Uganda andEthiopia.

In each country the teammet with government officials,private sector leaders, NGOs,bilateral and multilateraldonors, farmers and othergroups, as well as visitingSG 2000 projects.

A primary objective of themission was to identifyopportunities for theinternational donorcommunity, including USAID,to contribute to efforts aimedat achieving sustainableagricultural intensification inthe region.

INCREASED PRODUCTION

In its recently published report,“an assessment of strategicopportunities for sustainableagricultural intensification insub-Saharan Africa”, the teamcommented that “variousefforts, especially those of theSG 2000 agriculturalprogramme, havedemonstrated the potential fora marked increase in food cropproduction resulting from useof inorganic fertilisers,improved seed varieties, timelyweed control. Yet manyproblems on constraints maykeep the average farmer frombenefiting from thesetechnologies.”

The report summarises theextensive array of problems“that severely limit progress.While some advancement istaking place, it is not greatenough or rapid enough toconfront poverty and humanmisery so pervasive throughoutthe region.”

The report focuses on keysectors where significantimprovements should be made,such as macro-economic andsector policies; agriculturalextension; agricultural inputsupply; physical infrastructure;agricultural research; ruralcredit; and agriculturalmarketing systems.

It is important, states thereport, “to understand theimpact high-yielding food croptechnologies can have onpoverty reduction and humanprogress in Africa. Moreplentiful and efficiently-produced foods can lower realprices, which effectively meansincreased income for allconsumers. In these cases, the

Survey team in the field during thethree country tour.Second from right, E Travis York, teamleader and Chancellor Emeritus of theState University System of Florida.

poor benefit more, since theyspend a larger percentage oftheir income for food. Higherwages increase consumerpurchasing power which, in turn,leads to increased economicgrowth throughout theeconomy. Improvements in theagricultural sector can become,and must become, the engine todrive economic development.”

The report points out that amajor constraint associated withmacroeconomic andmicroeconomic factors at thefarm level is the unavailability offertilisers at affordable prices.“Most countries in sub-SaharanAfrica do not have marketdemand and raw materials tojustify primary production offertilisers, where economies ofscale are fundamental to efficientproduction. Therefore, in thenear and intermediate-term,most of these countries willdepend on imports to satisfyfertiliser needs.”

WORK TOGETHER

At the macro level, states thereport, three areas shouldreceive priority: policies,programmes and actions. “First,national governments anddonors should work together toensure adequate and timelysupply of foreign exchange forfertiliser imports and technicalknow-how... the donorcommunity can help ensure andsustain the supply of fertilisersand other modern inputs byproviding foreign exchange,preferably in untied form andwithout unnecessary conditions.Second, donors, especially theWorld Bank and IMF, andnational governments shouldwork together to stabilise theexchange rate in countries

15

VictoriaSekitolekojoins SAABoardVictoria Sekitoleko, the FAO’sSub-Regional Representativefor Southern and Eastern Africa,has accepted an invitation tojoin the SAA board of directors.

Uganda’s Minister ofAgriculture, Livestock andFisheries from 1988 to 1995,she was previously DeputyMinister for Agriculture andForestry from 1986 to 1988.She joined FAO in her presentpost in 1995, based in Harare.

Prior to entering politics,Victoria Sekitoleko waschairperson of the Women’sNon-GovernmentalOrganisation of Uganda. Sheholds a BSc in agriculture fromMakerere University andworked, for thirteen years, in

ABOUT SASAKAWA-GLOBAL 2000Agricultural projects ofSasakawa-Global 2000are operated as joint venturesof two organisations –Sasakawa Africa Association(SAA) and the Global 2000programme of the CarterCenter in Atlanta. SAA, whosepresident is Dr Norman EBorlaug, serves as the leadmanagement organisation forthe SG 2000 projects in Africa.Working through CarterCenter’s Global 2000programme, former USPresident Jimmy Carter andhis advisors provide policyadvice to national politicalleaders in support ofprogramme objectives.Funding for SG 2000 projectscomes from the NipponFoundation whose president isYohei Sasakawa.

the Uganda DevelopmentBank.

Commenting on the SG 2000programme she says, “ a goodthing about the SG 2000programme is that is a people’sprogramme – it encouragespeople’s participation.Secondly, it becomes part ofthe extension system of acountry and does not upsetwhat is already existing. And,lastly, it involves women amongthe beneficiaries. I’mparticularly happy with that.”

SAA President Dr NormanBorlaug comments that her“energies, abilities andunswerving support for genderissues in women’s agriculturewill make a big contribution toour work on the Board.”

Phot

o: R

ober

t Gro

ssm

an

where the continuousdepreciation of domesticcurrency value discouragesfertiliser import and privatesector investment. Failing this,national governments shouldguarantee the exchange ratefor a period of at least sixmonths on foreign exchangeneeded for importing fertilisersand associated inputs. Aguarantee can easily reduce thelocal price of fertilisers by 20 to30 percent and promote theiruse by small farmers. Third,increasing liquidity withcommercial banks is importantto augment the supply of loanfunds for the import anddomestic sale of inputs and toreduce and stabilise realinterest rates.

“Targeted assistance fromthe international donorcommunity could makefertiliser use more profitable –as it is in more developedregions – by increasing theefficiency of use, reducing thecost to the farmer, andincreasing market prices forfarm products.”For copies of the report contactRaitt Orr & Associates in London(details on back page).

The Sasakawa AfricaAssociation has another film onAfrican agriculture, “Ethiopia:My Hope, My Future,” whichhas recently been made by theLondon documentary film-maker, Tony Freeth, of ImagesFirst Ltd. Previous films in theseries include: “Fulfilling thePromise – Quality ProteinMaize” (1997), “Breaking theMould – Bringing Africa’sUniversities into Development”(1997), “You Can’t EatPotential” (1996), Facing the

New SAA film on EthiopiaThe film surveys the rapid

transformation in agriculturalmethods of several farm familiesin the Shashemene area in thesouthern highlands. How aretheir lives changing? What isneeded to promote and sustainthe transformation of theiragriculture?

The film looks at the currentstrategy of the governmentheaded by Meles Zenawi tointensify production in the morefavoured agricultural areas. Itexamines the difficulties inswitching from a centrallycontrolled command economyto a decentralised marketeconomy, especially thecrippling lack of infrastructureand market informationsystems.

The film also includescontributions and analysis fromPrime Minister Meles Zenawi,President Jimmy Carter,Dr Norman Borlaug, andEdward Jaycox (former WorldBank Vice-President for Africa).

For information on the availabilityof the film, in English and French,contact Raitt Orr & Associates inLondon

Future (1996) and “Feeding theFuture” (1988).

“Ethiopia: My Hope, MyFuture” , looks at thetransformation of Ethiopianagriculture from the appallingfamine which killed a millionpeople in the mid-1980s to adoubling in cereal productionfrom 1993 to 1996. In fact, in1996, the country was self-sufficient in food for the firsttime in 20 years (and evenexported maize to neighbouringKenya in 1997).

16

Proceedings ofWorkshop 1992:Policy Options forAgricultural Developmentin Sub-Saharan Africa.

Proceedings ofWorkshop 1995:Achieving GreaterImpact from ResearchInvestments in Africa.

Proceedings ofWorkshop 1994:StrengtheningNational ExtensionServices inSub-Saharan Africa.

Proceedings ofWorkshop 1993:Developing AfricanAgriculture: New Initiativesfor InstitutionalCooperation.

For copies please contact Raitt Orr & Associates Ltd in London.GHANADeola NaibakelaoSAA Resident Representativeor Toshiro MadoProgramme OfficerSasakawa Global 2000Private Mail Bag, AirportF.92/5 Orphan CrescentNorth Labone, AccraTel 233 21 776573Fax 233 21 773467E-maildeolasaa@ncs.com.ghmadosaa@ncs.com.gh

GUINEATareke BerheSG 2000 Country Directorc/o Directeur GénéralService National de la PromotionRurale et la VulgarisationMinistère de l’Agriculture desEaux et Forêtsrue KA 003 No 837BP 5348, ConakryTel 224 45 10 44Tel/Fax 224 45 10 45E-mail t.berhe@cgnet.com

MALIMarcel GalibaSG 2000 Country DirectorSasakawa-Global 2000BP E3541, BamakoTel 223 77 14 38Fax 223 77 19 30E-mailmgaliba@spider.toolnet.org

MOZAMBIQUEWayne HaagSG 2000 Country DirectorSasakawa-Global 2000Avenida Julius Nyerere 1339CP4247, MaputoTel 258 1 490 004Fax 258 1 491 417E-mail w.haag@cgnet.com

NIGERIAJosé Antonio ValenciaSG 2000 Country DirectorSasakawa-Global 2000PMB 3130Knarda BuildingKM9 Hadejia Road, KanoTel 234 64 634890Fax 234 64 638190(quote Box 479)E-mailj.a.valencia@cgnet.com

TANZANIAMichael MziraySG 2000 Liaison OfficerSasakawa-Global 2000Pamba House, Room 316PO Box 495Dar es SalaamTel 255 51 115780Fax 255 51 36882E-mailsg2000tz@twiga.com

UGANDAAbu-Michael FosterSG 2000 Country DirectorSasakawa-Global 2000Plot 15A Clement Hill RoadRuth Towers, Nakasero(Opp. UNDP building)KampalaTel 256 41 345497Tel/Fax 256 41 346087E-mail sakfos@starcom.co.ugc/o Ministry of Agriculture,Animal Industries and FisheriesFSSP BuildingPO Box 452, EntebbeE-mail a.m.foster@cgnet.com

You Can’t Eat Potential– Breaking Africa’sCycle of Poverty.1996.*

Facing the Future– The SG 2000 Programmefor AgriculturalDevelopment in Africa.1996.*

This is SAA:An Introduction to theWork of the SasakawaAfrica Association.

Videos

All videos are available inEnglish and French.Video formats are PAL,Secam and NTSC.

* Also available in Japanese.

SG 2000 PUBLICATIONS AND VIDEOSJAPANMasataka MinagawaGeneral Manager, SAAor Michio ItoAdministrative Officerc/o SPF, 3-12-12 MitaMinato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073Tel 81 3 3769 2093Fax 81 3 3798 5068E-mail minagawa@spf.or.jpor ito@spf.or.jp

MEXICOChris DowswellDirector for ProgrammeCo-ordination, SAACIMMYT, Lisboa 27Apdo 6-64106600 Mexico DFTel 52 5 7269091Fax 52 5 7267559E-mail cdowswell@cimmyt.mx

SWITZERLANDJean FreymondDirector, CASIN69, rue de Lausanne4th Floor, 1202 GenevaTel 41 22 906 1695Fax 41 22 731 0233E-mail freymond@hei.unige.ch

UNITED KINGDOMPatrick OrrInformation ConsultantRaitt Orr & Associates Ltd34 Buckingham Palace RoadLondon SW1W 0RETel 44 171 828 5961Fax 44 171 630 9750E-mailRaittOrr@compuserve.com

USAAndrew AgleDirector of OperationsGlobal 2000The Carter CenterOne CopenhillAtlanta, Georgia 30307Tel 1 404 420 3850Fax 1 404 874 5515E-mail aagle@emory.edu

And in Africa:

BENIN and TOGOSasakawa-Global 2000BP 04-1091 CadjehounCotonou, BéninTel 229 300459Fax 229 300637E-mail SG2000B@intnet.bj

BURKINA FASOJean Babou BadoNational Co-ordinatorSasakawa-Global 2000BP 01-6149, OuagadougouTel/Fax 226 30 50 74

ERITREABekuretsion HabteNational Co-ordinatorSasakawa-Global 2000c/o Ministry of AgricultureLand Resources and CropDevelopment DepartmentPO Box1048, AsmaraTel 291 1 181077Fax 291 1 181415

ETHIOPIAMarco QuiñonesSG 2000 Country Directorc/o Ministry of AgricultureAgricultural ExtensionDepartmentPO Box 12771, Addis Ababa.Tel 251 1 510584Fax 251 1 510891E-mail m.quinones@cgnet.comor SG2000@telecom.net.et

Feeding the Future is produced for SAA by Raitt Orr & Associates Ltd, London SW1and designed by FMO Design Consultants

Proceedings ofWorkshop 1996:Overcoming RuralPoverty in Africa.

Proceedings of the 1996Workshop on Women,Agricultural Intensification,and Household FoodSecurity.

Fulfilling the Promise– How Nutritionally-improvedMaize can AlleviateMalnutrition inMaize-dependent Countries.1997.

Breaking the Mould– Bringing African Universitiesinto Development. 1997.

Publications

VIDEOJUST RELEASED

For further information contact:

Ethiopia, My Hope... My Future...– The ‘Green Revolution’ inEthiopia (see page 15). 1998.