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-founding partner in CmiA

Dunavant Zambia Head office

Overview

• Background • Productivity concerns • The YIELD / CmiA Approach • Outputs – Lessons learnt • Conclusions

1.Dominantly smallholder, lint export sub sector EU, China, India Ginnery Farmer 90% COMESA ZONE Long chain of Value addition-garments Chain of traders 2 nd hand cloth dealer EU customer Uses shirt 2yrs Retail stores

Productivity concerns

Production trends - Zambia

250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

Hectarage-led production

35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5

Crop season

2005/6 2006/7

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

Kg/ha 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Egypt Other COMESA USA China

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

• Early & proper land preparation • Improve production efficiency & therefore yield, • Correct Time of planting • Increase net EARNINGS, • Correct plant population • Keeping a weed-free crop • Wise Pest Management • Improve ECOLOGICAL & SOCIAL sustainability • Through tailored training of 100,000 farmers in 2 years

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 Yield Profit Price CoP

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

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

Training aided by Audio-Video Shows

Farmer Field Days & Exchange Visits

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Outputs & Lessons learned so far

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Ordinary Farmers analysis

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0-700 Traditional Farmer 700 - 1400 Better Farmer 1400 - 2100 Committed Farmer >2100 Super Farmer

Yield range

Collaborating Farmers

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0-700 Traditional Farmer 700 - 1400 Better Farmer 1400 - 2100 Committed Farmer

Yield range

>2100 Super Farmer

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

CmiA Farmers analysis

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0-700 Traditional Farmer 700 - 1400 Better Farmer 1400 - 2100 Committed Farmer

Yield range

>2100 Super Farmer

Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA

Per Ha Net incomes in US $

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Ordinary Farmers Collaborating Farmers

Farmer category

CmiA Farmers

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.