LIVES-Irrigation Commodities Value Chain: Highlights of Plan and Achievement

IWMI-LIVES : Haileslassie, et al., 2014

Project Steering Committee MeetingAddis Ababa

08/12/14

Introduction: recapping LIVES

Plan for 2014/2015:across Value Chain nodes

Achievement: across the Value Chain nodes

Focus areas for the next six months

Concluding remarks

Contents

— In sub-Saharan Africa ~62% of the working population make

their living from agriculture;

— ~ > 80% are smallholders and contribute ~ 90% of the

production. These figures are on the higher side for Ethiopia.

— Market oriented agricultural development initiatives (ETH);

— LIVES is planned in response to these agendas;

— But why irrigation?

Introduction

Introduction

— Low agricultural productivity is one of the major challenges (in Ethiopia);

— Far below global average;

— Recently some progresses but yield is generally instable

Sources: Own synthesis WB online data

Introduction— Less irrigation input and

persistent dependency on rain fed system (~6%);

— The consequences are wobbling Agricultural GDP;

— Future projection also does not show a “rosy-picture” — Climate change ;— Population growth and

change in consumption behavior.

Introduction― Generally sustainable

agricultural intensification (SAI) is advocated as “a hope for tomorrow”;

― SAI may occur as a result of A) a shift towards more valuable outputs or B) technical progress that raises land productivity (not mutually exclusive);

― How can we achieve these?

Introduction

― Does availing only more water helps to close the yield gaps ( Figure)?

― We need targeting (commodities-VC);

― We need to strengthen VC process accelerators

Planned interventions: how we wanted to do?

Production

Knowledge

Research and Documentation

Fodd

er, F

ruits

and

Veg

etab

les

Planned interventions: irrigated fodder

Monthly Feed Deficits ( e.g. in Amhara Region) Comprising Farming Systems 1 (kolla), 2 (Woina Dega) East and west and 3 (Dega).

The problem

- Low DM availability;

- Poor feed quality;

- Poor access to germplasm ( inputs);

- Farmers unable target productive animals and also marketing seasons.

- Irrigated fodder is new commodity in Ethiopian irrigation systems;

- Introduction of planting materials ( high yielding and good feed quality-CP);

- Fodder species such as Dinsho, Rhodes, Elephant, Susbania, Desmodium, Alfalfa were the target .

Planned intervention: Production

- Lack of space is one of the challenges in wider adoption of irrigated fodder;

- Thus techniques for spatial integration is one of the planed interventions ;

- This will enhance not only the animal productivity but also the land and subsequently the system.

Planned intervention: Production

- Supply of planting material (seeds/splits/cuts);

- Linkage between producers & planting material suppliers;

- Linking seed producers, suppliers and farmers (e.g. Rhodes seed).

Planned intervention: input/services

- Processing/marketing depend on scale of production;

- Processing is also a cross-cutting activities ( along varieties of feed resources and types);

- At this initial stage we also focused on making productive uses of existing resources such as food-feed crops;

Planned intervention: Processing/marketing

- Fruit production systems in Ethiopia focuses on traditional varieties and also practices( e.g. water application techniques);

- Mainly for domestic consumption: this means also the production system is at early stage of development in terms of input /services/processing/marketing.

Planned innervations: irrigated fruits

The problem

- Introduction of new varieties of fruits (temperate and tropical fruits);

- Water supply systems ( e.g.

improved irrigation practices in banana systems);

- Improving existing fruit stands ( e.g. top working).

Planned innervations: production

- Strengthening/establishing grafted seedlings supply systems;

- Create/initiate private fruit seedlings (grafted and non-grafted) producers;

- Link nursery input suppliers with fruit seedling producers.

Planned intervention: Inputs/services

- Proper harvesting techniques/ time;

- Establish fruit collectors/ groups/ cooperatives and link with traders;

- Initiate/co-establish fruit marketing shades for retailers;

- Supporting road side fruit

collection and marketing-youth.

Planned intervention: Processing/marketing

The problem

- Communalities between vegetable and fruits production systems ( e.g. Germplasm, diversity and input management techniques;

- Weak input supply systems ( e.g. seed);

- Poor post harvest handling, grading and processing.

Planned intervention: Irrigated vegetables

- Introduce improved/new varieties of major vegetable crops ;

- Introducing cropping patterns align with water supply;

- Integrating nutrient management with irrigated water supply;

- Introducing integrated pests and diseases management ( e.g. banana).

Planned innervations: production

- Establish vegetable seed/ seedling producers (hybrid tomato);

- Introduce farmer-based vegetable (tomato and potato) seed production, extraction, packaging and storage techniques;

- Initiate/strengthen village level vegetable input supply system (chemicals, seeds, fertilizers, etc.).

Planned innervations: input/services

- Link vegetable traders with producers;

- Establish/strengthen vegetable marketing groups, collection points;

- Introduce improved post-harvest handling techniques (storage, grading, packing and transporting).

Planned innervations: processing/marketing

Two sets of indicators

- Number of MHH&FHH covered

- Number of PAs covered

Achievements

- Potential, existing and new VC interventions introduced to farmers, input/service providers and other value chain actors

Achievements

- Unlike the VC interventions achievements in the areas of demonstration is weak;

- The next plan period will focus in catching up on Demonstration;

- Also on covering the gaps in areas of for example processing/marketing for fruits and vegetables .

Focus areas of next plan period

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www.lives-ethiopia.org

Many thanks