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POLICY ISSUES IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

R.M. Shetto

Paper presented at the VWCCA held on 26-29 September 2011 Brisbane, Australia

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Contents

1. Global Area under CA

2. Main Drivers to CA Adoption

3. Challenges on CA

4. What Policies to be Adopted in CA Up scaling?

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AREA UNDER CA BY CONTINENT

Continent Area Per cent of Per cent of (000 ha) global total arable crop land

South America 55,630 47.6 57.5

North America 39,981 34.1 15.4

Australia and NZ 17,162 14.7 69.0

Asia 2,630 2.2 0.5

Europe 1,150 1.0 0.4

Africa 368 0.3 0.1

Global total 116,921 100 8.5

DRIVERS IN ADOPTION OF CA

• BRAZIL: water erosion; costs of production; herbicides in weed control

• CANADA/AMERICA PRAIRIES: wind erosion; costs of production; herbicides in weed control

• AUSTRALIA: drought ; costs of production

• KAZAKHSTAN: drought ; costs of production

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CHALLENGES

• Change in mind set from CT to CA• Weed Control• Livestock integration• Education• Capital/investment• Availability of implements• Availability of cover crop seeds• Land tenure

SUCCESS IN CA ADOPTION

• AMERICA/AUSTRALIA: farmer led with farmer organizations instrumental in generating and spreading knowledge leading to govt, private and civil sector support

• CHINA/INDIA/KAZAKHSTAN: govt support playing important role

• AFRICA: mainly been initiated by donor/govt supported projects

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WHAT CA POLICIES

• Participatory approaches in up scaling CA adoption?

- FFS, Farmer lead extension model, demonstrations, field days/exchange visits

• Training?• Supply of Implements/seeds?• Incentives?

- subsidies

-loans

- grants• Land tenure?

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FFS

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A farmer explaining to the Deputy Minister on operation of an animal drawn direct seeder

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CA Implements introduced

Animal drawn direct seeder

Animal drawn sprayerTractor drawn knife roller

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION