Transcript Diapositive 1

Republic of Benin
*************
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
**************
Roots and Tubers Development
Programme (PDRT)
***************
SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING CASSAVA
PRODUCTIVITY IN BENIN
Paper presented by
Idrissou BAKO, National Coordinator of the PDRT,
in the context of the IRTCM Workshop
(Douala, 14–16 November 2007)
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
Introduction
1- Activities carried out
2- Results
3- Constraints
4- Future outlook
• The PDRT began its activities in September 2001 for
a period of 7 years. It is financed by IFAD, WADB
and the Government of Benin.
• General objective
To contribute sustainably to reducing poverty by increasing
incomes and improving the living conditions of rural households
in general and the most vulnerable rural women in particular.
• Specific objective
To rationalize R&T production, processing and marketing
activities for the benefit of disadvantaged rural households in agroecological zones suited to these crops.
• Target groups
330 000 rural households (R&T growers and processors,
young people with or without schooling) with special attention
to women.
• Intervention approach
- Participatory approach
- Do–Do
(the programme team acts as supervisor in the identification,
mobilization and management of these external skills)
• Programme organization: based on 4 components:
•
•
•
•
Support for improving productivity;
Support for processing and primary marketing;
Support for grass-roots institutions;
Programme management.
Improvement in cassava productivity
Specific objective
To ensure a sustainable increase in cassava productivity.
Anticipated results
15 000 growers have gained knowledge about soil fertility management
and have adopted it on 7 000 ha spread over 312 villages.
Specific inputs for cassava growing are available and accessible to
growers.
Sustainable and appropriate technical packages for cassava growing
are introduced.
Cassava yields have increased by 75%.
1. Activities carried out
1. Creation and/or strengthening of a support and advice mechanism for
growers by making development and production advisers available to
them;
2. Training and advice to growers on implementing the technical
packages in general and fertility development in particular;
3. Formulation and implementation of a research and development
programme to provide cassava growers with inputs (cassava cuttings,
fertilizer etc.) and appropriate growing techniques for cassava;
4. Revitalization of cassava seed farms in the country and support to
farmer-multipliers in establishing good-quality stockyards;
2. Main results
Research and development
1. Formulation of a research and development subprogramme on
sustainable production of R&Ts in general and cassava in particular;
2. In collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Institute of
Benin, development of:
• The technical package for sustainable cassava production based
on soil fertility management techniques (agroforestry, improved
fallows, crop rotation, intercropping cassava with leafy, bush and
grassy legumes),
• 7 new drought- and disease-resistant cassava varieties,
• 1 specific fertilizer formula for cassava.
Pre-extension and extension
research and development
of
the
positive
advances
of
In collaboration with the Directorate of Agricultural Advice and
Operational Training, the programme undertook:
 Pre-extension of innovations developed with research such as:
• technical packages for sustainable cassava growing,
• new varieties of cassava,
• specific fertilizer formulas for cassava and yam;
 Extension of techniques of:
• rapid multiplication of cassava cuttings
Photo: Rapid-multiplication techniques for cassava cuttings
Boosting the skills of cassava growers
1. 312 village cassava growers’ groups set up, 249 of which already have
a legal status for cooperative action;
2. 18 communal umbrella structures of professional organizations set up,
all having an established legal status;
3. 272 local trainers identified and strengthened with regard to training
and support for growers of R&Ts in general and cassava in particular;
4. Training of 12 000 cassava growers in technical packages for
sustainable production of R&Ts in general and cassava in particular, on
799.5 ha of cassava demonstration plots.
Photo:
Growers’ training session on a
demonstration plot
Production of productive plant material
 Establishment of a system to supply improved R&T seed to growers
through:
• In vitro production of 2 500 plants by the IITA and the Science and
Techniques Faculty of Abomey Calavi University,
• Planting of 21 ha of prebase cassava cuttings by the National
Agricultural Research Institute (INRAB),
• Planting of 107 ha of base cassava cuttings by the Directorate of
Agriculture and multipliers on scattered farms,
• Planting of 756.35 ha of certified cassava cuttings by farmermultipliers in the villages covered by the programme,
• Establishment of 22 scattered farms to produce base cuttings,
• Establishment of a network of 312 multipliers of certified cuttings
throughout the villages covered by the programme.
Photo: INRAB and Directorate of Agriculture production plots for prebase and base cassava plant material
Environment
1.
1 192 awareness-building sessions on the use of improved species of
the “glyricedia” genus and specific developments organized
2.
674 487 ha of land with a highly degraded environment developed for
growing R&Ts in general and cassava in particular
IMPACT ON BENEFICIARIES:
 Improvement among small farmers in the productivity of R&Ts in general
and cassava in particular through:
• increase in cassava yields of 9 to 20 tonnes per hectare
Photo: Roots and tubers (cassava
and yam) obtained from the
application plots of the growers
trained
 Creation of a production and distribution chain for prebase, base and
certified productive plant material of R&Ts in general and cassava in
particular
Photo: A farmer-multiplier of
base cassava cuttings
 3 650 ha of application plots using the technologies extended (improved
varieties, rapid cassava multiplication techniques, use of specific fertilizers
for cassava cultivation, improved fallows and intercropping of cassava with
other legumes) established by the growers supported
Photo: Growers’
application plots
using the settlement
technique for yam
and new varieties of
cassava
Improvement in growers’ incomes thanks to receipts from improved
harvests from application, demonstration and/or multiplication plots
Use of profits from the sale of harvests to contribute to the operation
of consultative village committee (CVC) banks, investment in the
growing of other crops, children’s schooling etc.
Photo: A house built by a grower using income from the sale of his yam harvest
Private actors and their roles in achieving the results
Individual growers:
- Participation in organized training
- Adoption of technologies learned during training
- Application of technologies learned on their own plots
- Production of certified cassava cuttings
Village growers’ groups:
- Organization of growers to participate in planned activities
- Establishment and management of demonstration plots
- Production of base cassava cuttings
Non-governmental organizations:
- Training growers in improved cassava production technologies
- Training and support to growers in applying improved cassava
production technologies on demonstration plots and their own farms
3 Constraints
1. The continuing problem of organizing the production chain for cassava
planting material at three levels (prebase, base and certified), despite
actions pursued in this area, for example with the Directorate of
Agriculture.
2. The failure before the close of the programme to carry out extension
of new varieties of cassava that are agro-ecologically suitable (high
yielding and resistant to drought, disease and pests) and specific
qualities for the manufacture of alcohol, starch and baking flour,
introduced in association with the National Agricultural Research
Institute.
3. The failure before the close of the programme to carry out extension
of several sustainable cassava production techniques developed by
research institutions in partnership with the PDRT, most of which are now
at the pre-extension stage.
4 Future outlook
1. Boost the specific seed-producing mechanism for cassava,
guaranteeing the availability of certified plant material for all
production localities.
2. Carry out extension on new varieties of cassava that are agroecologically suitable (high yields, resistance to drought, disease and
pests) and have specific properties for the making of alcohol, starch
and baking flour.
3. Bring the process of institutionalizing village-level cassava growers’
professional organizations to the national level.