Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services

Value Chain Development and the Role of ICT

Dai PetersCatholic Relief Services

EDC ConferenceEnhancing Development Effectiveness through Cooperative Agribusiness

Addis Ababa, September 1-3, 2014

Value Chain Development and the Role of ICT

Dai PetersAgriculture and Livelihood Programs

CRS

Complementing the Workshop

In the framework of horizontal and vertical integration for value chain development• Cooperatives well covered by experts• Excellent presentation and discussion on FSA

and SACCO for finances • ICT: introduction of array of apps, but less on

the use of these tools• Absence of production aspects of the value

chain development

Discussion topics in this presentation• Question about whether Cooperatives target the

poorest and how to identify this segment of population.

• Production aspects of the value chain development• ICT tools development and application• Capacity building based on Nico’s summary– In addition to mobilization, also members need training

on bookkeeping, by laws, management, governance, leadership, organization design for cooperative health.

• Highlight the importance of DETAILS

Population targeting

Agriculture and Livelihood ContinuumCRS Pathway to Prosperity

Livelihood continuumGrowth through income

Agriculture continuumEngaging market with production

Livelihood continuumCapacity building

Agriculture continuumProduction from seed

Livelihood continuumResilience and food security

Agriculture continuumSeed acquisition and DiNAR

Marketing groups

Production group

SILC group

Poorest—recovering with small MF scheme

Better off—ready to engage markets

Group formations

Less poor—ready to build capacity for all aspects related to production & markets

Pre-production and production and beyond

Upland only Upland with lowland Upland with flooded lowland

Semi-arid Arid Arid Semi-arid

# season production

Rainy season only

Rainy season only

Rainy and dry seasons

Rainy and dry seasons

Rainy season and dry season

Most important upland crops

1. Maize2. Pigeon

pea3. Groundn

ut4. Cowpea

1. Sorghum2. Millet3. Groundn

ut4. Sesame

1. Sorghum2. Millet3. Maize4. Cotton

1. Maize2. Pigeon P3. G’ nut4. Cowpea

1. Maize2. Cotton3. Sorghum4. Millet

Lowland crop

None None Green maize, vegetables

Green maize, vegetables

Rice, green maize, SP, vegetables

Cash crops GroundnutPigeon pea

Sesame,Cotton

Cotton, vegetable

Groundnut,Pigeon pea,Vegetables

Rice, cotton, vegetable, sesame

The first step—overall assessment

Upland only Upland with lowland Upland with flooded lowland

Semi-arid Arid Arid Semi-arid

Targeted VC 1. Pig2. Expandin

g SP & cassava

1. Sesame 2. Short-

season P pea

1. Vegetables

2. Sesame3. Short-

season P pea

1. Vegetables

2. Groundnut

1. Rice2. Vegetable3. Short season

P pea

Land availability

Idle land available

Idle land available

All land fully cultivated

All land fully cultivated

All land fully cultivated

Strategy for each system

Expansion Expansion IntensificationRe-allocation

Overall strategies

Storage Intercropping Overall agricultural production

o Re-allocation of fertilizer use in arid zoneso Crop-animal-manure application

Select products for value chain development

# yrs. SP as cash crop

Ways SP are consumed

Market access

Varietyrequirements

Current varieties

Yield(metric tons/ha)

Nigeria < 10 Fried (60%) Boiled (40%)

Four major cities plus the local markets

Long shelf life (2-3 weeks) due to long chainSweet taste

2 target national markets

I Avg: 6.8*II Avg: 3.7III Avg: 3.6

Ghana 5-10 Fried (80%)Boiled (20%)

Spread out around the country

Medium shelf life (1-2 wks)Fry wellBright color

Diverse varieties with no champion

North Avg: 7.2 South Avg: 14.1

Burkina Faso

15 Boiled (70%)Fried (30%)

A few particular provinces

High DMCSweet taste

2 target national markets

Avg: 19.5

Characteristics that bear implications for the sweetpotato variety requirements

Otada Efoyo Emichi

WononoAgric

(TMS30572) Wonono Onweto WononoAgric

(NR8082)1Truck : #basin

14 13 13 10 10 71.15 ton : # kg gari

532 494 494 380 380 266Conversion rate (%)

44 41 41 32 32 22

Cassava gari processing from various varieties

Varieties Akpu

Banada

Agric Dangbu

Akpu yield (bag/akundu) 75 75 60 50

Akpu price (n/bag) 1,100 1,100 1,100 1,100

Apu income (n/akundu) 82,500 82,570 66,000 55,000

Apu income (n/ha) 528,000 528,000 422,400 352,000

Akpu processing from various varieties

Number of seasons

HH maintain nurseries in dry season (%)

HH buy seed (%)

Seed cost (usd/ha)

Nigeria 2 seasons is commonOccasionally 3 seasons

I: 7II: 45III: 50

I: 93II: 35III: 60

From neighbor: Avg: 25.8Range: 6.5 – 45.2From market: Avg: 45.2Range: 20-200

Ghana 1 season in north2-3 season in south

South: 41North: 35

South: 48North: 35

Avg: 55.5Range: 30 - 200

Burkina Faso

Mainly 1 season

83 63 Avg: 53.5Full cost: up to 400

Current sweetpotato seed System

As a cash crop As a nutritional crop As livestock feedPolicy 1. Conduct annual survey of

sweetpotato production2. Establish infrastructure

(e.g., collection centers) to facilitate marketing

1. Link with school feeding program

2. Foster national campaign of feeding OFSP to address vitamin A deficiency

1. Promote and allocate funds for crop feed research and development

Breeding 1. Undertake germplasm collection and morphological study of the existing varieties

2. Pursue participatory breeding to involve the collectors and fryers to identify marketable and high-yielding varieties

1. Promote high DMC or high yielding OFSP

1. Select for dual-purpose—total biomass from roots and vines, if such interest exists

Seed system 1. Multiply and sell seed of improved varieties for market via existing seed suppliers

2. Develop ways to assist more farmers to maintain seed during the dry season

1. Multiply and sell OFSP varieties via existing seed suppliers

2. Make OFSP seed available to northern farmers to sell to Burkina Faso

1. Multiply and sell seed of dual-purpose varieties for market via existing seed suppliers

Issues surrounding value chain to be resolved

Production improvement

1. Organize fertilizer trials

2. Explore ways to decrease ridging labor

3. Experiment on overall best ICM practices

1. Organize fertilizer trials Same

2. Same

1. Organize fertilizer trials to determine the most appropriate practices to obtain the highest volume of vine & root biomass for livestock nutrition

2. Same3. Same

Post-harvest

1. Develop harvest methods

2. Assess post-harvest loss

3. Experiment with fresh root storage methods for one to two months

1. Introduce cooking and eating practices appropriate

1. Experiment with various vine silage treatments (also with roots), should interest exist, for the times when fresh root prices are too low to sell

2. Design feeding trials with silage3. Experiment with holistic systems of

crop feed and soil maintenance with intensified animal manure application

Marketing 1. Link northern producers with southern markets

2. Establish local collection centers

1. Launch awareness campaigns

2. Link OFSP to school feeding programs

Issues surrounding value chain to be resolved

Capacity building and ICT tools

Farmbook Suite Overview

• Three ICT tools currently available1. e-Learning2. e-Business3. e-Valuate (Map and Track)

• All functions on Android platforms• Integrated data from all three Apps, stored and

analyzed in the cloud• Real time data and analysis displayed on

dashboard maps and viewed by managers

Farmbook Suite Tools

1. e-Learning– SMART Skills: the network of skills farmers need to

organize themselves to manage resources, to increase production, and effectively engage with markets.

– Five skills organized in nine courses • bookkeeping, by laws, management, governance, leadership,

organization design• 1. Group management, 2. Financial management, 3. NRM, 4.

Access to technology, 5. Market engagement

– e-Learning platform functions online and offline– Taught from master trainer to field agents to farmer groups– Learning management System (LMS)

Distance LearningMarketing basics

Monitoring Distance Learning

Farmbook Suite Tools

2. e-Business– Business planning tool that field agents use to

enable farmers to develop customized business plans with details about their costs, revenues, sales and profits

– Reports can be printed and shared with farmers

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Creating a Business Plan

The next step after you have registered the Nafaka farmer group is to meet with the group to discuss their plans for the crop they want to produce for marketing. Use Farmbook to guide the group through the steps to create a viable business plan.

Click here to start!

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Enter Narrative Information

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Example Data Set

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View Local Reports

Local Reports are viewed on Farmbook Client by field agents. After creating a business plan with a profitability assessment, you should generate the local reports and print them out to be handed over to the Mshika farmer group so they can see their data.

Click here to start!

Farmbook Reports in Cloud

Farmbook Suite Tools

2. e-Valuate– Map and Track the real time service deliveries by

field agents– Promotes accountability and transparency– Enables supervisors and managers to link service

delivery and training with beneficiary group performance and results

– A monitoring and evaluation tool– To be adopted by

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Great Lakes Cassava Initiative• Location of 1,116,651

farmers• Location of 3023 farmer

groups• Click on for data

– By year

– By M&E points

Pipeline Tool development

• Under testing– Farmer feedback system: evaluate the most

effective and efficient tools to solicit farmer feedback on extension services

– Complement Map&Track service delivery tracking and monitory and evaluation

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Pipeline ICT Tools for e-Extension

• Initiative design stage– Automated extension payment calculated based

on service delivery and farmer satisfaction , to complement M&T and farmer feedback

– Linking e-Business with following associated services, in collaboration with Equity Group Foundation• Credit application• Multiple and timed fund release• e-Voucher linked to inputs providers• Market information

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This presentation was given:

By Dai Peters, CRS, on behalf of MEAS

EDC Conference, September 1-3, 2014

In Addis Ababa

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Disclaimer:Disclaimer:

This presentation was made possible by the generous support of

the American people through the United States Agency for

International Development, USAID. The contents are the

responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the

views of USAID or the United States Government.

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