intercropping farming

Empowering Most Vulnerable Households through Intercropping Agriculture Technique in Olive Groves

Idleb Governorate

[email protected] | www.ihsanRD.org

What is Intercropping?

Intercropping agriculture system, is a multiple cropping practice involving growing two or more crops. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop.


Project Summary

Governorate District Sub-District Number of HH

Idleb Harim Kafr Takharim 600Idleb Harim Armanaz 400

• Sector: FSL• Duration: 6 Months• Budget: 113,815.00 Euros• Total Beneficiaries: 1,000 HH

Locations


Geographic Location


Profile of Location• The sub-district of Kafr Takharim and Armanaz is

300,000 host community members and 75,000 IDP community members.

• The location is relatively stable, thus it is relatively safe and led to high IDP numbers

• Controlled by opposition forces and strong presence of local councils

• 65 % of population dependent on olive groves for their livelihood, directory or indirectly.

• During the conflict, agricultural activities crippled and partially neglected

Coordination with Local Council

• Local councils are elected locally, each year by people residing in location

• Local council expresses the civil authority

• Project team has established good relationswith LCs in Armanaz and Kafar Takharim.

• MoU has been singed with LC, also Paper of Authorization.


Problems• One of the key livelihood activities native to the local population of Idleb, olive

tree agriculture activities, has been negatively affected by the current crisis.

• Olive farmers have been unable to return to their agricultural activities due to the extremely high costs of agriculture practices (tillage , pruning, harvesting ….etc.)

• As olive activities have not been conducted thus far, thousands of hectares of land in the targeted areas are not being used, thereby affected the agricultural environment, soil as well as health of the trees.

• These communities (Arboreal zones) are often left at a disadvantage in the humanitarian response.

• The relations between Host families and IDPs and their acceptance of each other.

• As noted in the HNO for 2016, the main needs include the crippled labour markets and extremely limited income earning opportunities.


Proposed Solutions• Support the activities of olive farmer, by cultivation of Leguminous crops.Support Income Support Olive farm activities (labor, harvesting, pruning, etc.)More Olive farms practices lowering costs of production.

• Improve soil fertility through provision of natural nitrogen resulted from Nitrogen nodules of roots of legume plants. Intercropping also reduces erosion.

…in order to increase quality and quantity of olive tree production. (Organic product).

• Partnership between one Host HH and one IDP to share the land, can possibly improve relations between two parties.


Impacts

• Legumes Roots Good Q&Q of Olives

• Encourage products processing

إحسان لإلغاثة والتنميةIhsan for relief & Development


Key Inputs

• The host olive farmer will receive assistance sufficient for the planting of 3 dunums of chickpeas (12 KG of seeds per dunum) and 30 KG of NPK fertilizer (10 KG per dunum)

• The IDP farmer will receive assistance sufficient for the planting of 1 dunum of beans (8 KG of seeds per dunum) and 10 KG of NPK fertilizer.

• Both IDP and host HH will receive support supplementary irrigation.

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Beneficiary Selection• 1000 HH: 500 Olive farmers 500

IDPs, who live in the location.

• Our Team in Syria, will explain to the LCs in each town the process of selection to ensure the coordination of LC in targeting most vulnerable HH.

• Women HH always have preference to be chosen.

• BNFs will be involved in the implementation stage and evaluation process.

ADVs Applying

Scoring Filtering

Verification Selecting


Risks and DifficultiesRisks Mitigation Measures

Sensitivity for the time Advance preparation

Drought supplementary irrigation

Constant movement of families Reserve names

IDPs without lands Partnership between IDPs and Host HH

Receptivity of the project to local stakeholders

MoU with LC on the provision of technical training for BNFs about the concept of intercropping

Constant changing of market prices. Contract terms


Log_frameProject Activities Project Outputs Project Outcomes

Selection of beneficiaries according to beneficiary criteria

inputs are distributed to most vulnerable households for access to food and income generation

Improved access to resilience initiatives for IDPs

Training of farmers Training for farmers on best intercropping techniques (both host farmers and IDP HH)

Improved technical capacity for intercropping activities

Agreements complete between host HH and IDP HH

agreements between host HH household and IDPs are signed

Improved host-IDP relations amongst local communities

Distribution of kits BNFs have received inputs to cultivate )list of Receipts)

Increase income generating opportunities for most vulnerable HH


M&E

• M&E activities will include:– Verification of the beneficiaries – Baseline survey – Monitoring all activities – Endline survey – Evaluation & lessons learned

• M&E field staff is two officers, working on two smart phones to collect data via KoBo Toolbox platform, reports of M&E will be send after finishing each activity.

• There will be a complaint box in the field office, the complaints will be send weekly, processed and after that return answers back to the applicant.


Sustainability

The Trainings will be the key, as following points:

• Explain relevance and use of proposed agricultural technique so as to encourage adaption by local farmers

• Transfer the new technique to other farmers in near areas. (leaders of farmers)


Lessons Learned in Program Design Phase

• Ensuring that we take into consideration the role of sustainability in the project and its impact

• Respect environmental principles when we are going to design a project (soil fertility, organic , erosion, irrigation).

• Flexibility in the number of final BNFs. Therefore, being flexible with amount we purchase.

Thank you

intercropping farming

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