YIELD / CmiA Program Approach to Improving Smallholder Cotton yields in

Zambia

Ben M. Sekamatte,YIELD / Cotton Made in Africa Program

Manager,Dunavant Zambia

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Dunavant Zambia Head officeDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Overview

• Background

• Productivity concerns

• The YIELD / CmiA Approach

• Outputs – Lessons learnt

• Conclusions

1.Dominantly smallholder, lint export sub-sector

Farmer

GinneryEU, China, India

Long chain of Value addition-garments

Retail storesEU customerUses shirt 2yrs

2nd hand clothdealer

Chain of traders

90% COMESA ZONE

Productivity concerns

Production trends - Zambia

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

Me

tric

to

ne

s

Hectarage-led production

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7

Crop season

He

cta

rag

e/Y

ield

Comparative cotton Productivity

• Post liberalization profitability of the cotton sector in Zambia & and across Africa is hampered by chronically low on-farm yields- rarely >600kg /ha; Except Egypt over 900kg /ha.

• A major factor for Africa’s competitiveness

• Effects of Sharply declining world lint prices greatly felt

• Declining farmer enthusiasm

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

Egypt OtherCOMESA

USA China

Kg/ha

The YIELD/ Cotton made in Africa Program Programme:

A private –Public partnership to empower smallholder cotton farmers

Germany DEG & Dunavant Partnership

• Y = yield

• I = improvement

• E = empowerment• L = learning

• D = discipline

Productivity-supportive innovations

• Attempts to add value at the production level through Yield enhancement

• CmiA program innovatively organizes and trains smallholder farmers to improve production efficiency

Reaching the farmers

Agric Managers

Distributor Buyers Distributors Farmers

Focus of the Yield Program• Improve production

efficiency & therefore yield,

• Increase net EARNINGS,

• Improve ECOLOGICAL & SOCIAL sustainability

• Through tailored training of 100,000 farmers in 2 years

• Early & proper land preparation

• Correct Time of planting

• Correct plant population

• Keeping a weed-free crop

• Wise Pest Management

Program Set up• Program Manager• 2 Zonal Managers• 18 Area Coordinators• 280 Site Coordinators• 2800 Lead Farmers• >40,000 Collaborating

farmers

CmiA program operation sites

Training: Process & Focus

• Attitude Change– Field staff

– Farmers

• Business mindedness

CoPPrice

Yield

Profit

Area-Based training of Farmer Trainers

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Training: Process & Focus

• Area coordinators train up to 20 Site Coordinators

• Individual Site Coordinators (in picture) Practically Demonstrate groups of 10 Lead farmers

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Training aided by Audio-Video Shows

Farmer Field Days & Exchange Visits

Outputs & Lessons learned so far

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Ordinary Farmers analysisDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-700

Traditional

Farmer

700 - 1400

Better

Farmer

1400 - 2100

Committed

Farmer

>2100

Super

Farmer

Yield range

% o

f fa

rme

rs

Collaborating Farmers

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-700 TraditionalFarmer

700 - 1400 Better Farmer

1400 - 2100Committed

Farmer

>2100 Super Farmer

Yield range

% o

f fa

rmer

s

CmiA Farmers analysisDunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-700

Traditional

Farmer

700 - 1400

Better Farmer

1400 - 2100

Committed

Farmer

>2100 Super

Farmer

Yield range

% o

f fa

rmers

Per Ha Net incomes in US $

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Ordinary Farmers Collaborating Farmers CmiA Farmers

Farmer category

Net

in

com

e /h

a (U

S $

)Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Conclusions

1. The highly inefficient farmer –level segment of the cotton value Chain can be improved through farmer empowerment programs.

2. Private-Public Cooperation e.g. CmiA can help change face of the industry & improve farmers’ incomes

3. YIELD / CmiA program presents a classical example of innovations for smallholder cotton productivity enhancement.