Postharvest Management in SSA (GPFS / SDC)

Background of the PHM-SSA project

Three projects under SDC’s “Global Programme Food Security” (GPFS):

one overall goal : “Food security of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa is increased

through reduced postharvest losses at farm and community level”

Intervention logic (3 projects): identify, test, replicate and improve experiences on

postharvest management on the basis of good practices derived from national PHM

projects (HSI pilots, SDC, African Union, FAO, among others)

Regional Project

FAO/IFAD/WFP

• Uganda, Congo,

Burkina Faso

• 6 years

• Start: end of 2013

Regional Project

HSI/FANRPAN/AFAA

S/AGRIDEA

• Benin, Mozambique

• 6 years

• Start: April 2013

National project

SDC/FAO

• Ethiopia

•10 years

• Start: Oct. 2013

Main partners of our programme

Consortium HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation – FANRPAN (Food, Agriculture and

Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network)

AFAAS (African Forum of Agricultural Advisory Services) and AGRIDEA as associated

partners

Context Benin and Mozambique

Food losses in SSA are high…

120 – 170 kg food /capita

15-20 tons resp.15-30% of all grains (cereals, dry pulses) are lost = US$4 billion

40% of losses happen at the postharvest and processing levels!

Benin: Self-sufficient in roots, tubers and most cereals, however 25% of households in

Benin are food insecure or at risk of food security.

Mozambique: net importer of staple food; less than 25 % of smallholder families are able

to cover their food needs throughout the year.

Average PHL of maize: 15 - 30%, mainly due to precarious, non-hermetic storage

conditions, storage at the open air, improper drying etc.

Dry grains are vital for food security in most areas, especially in the North

Project areas Benin / Moz.

BENIN

Common granaries in North Benin : traditional . clay silo (“banco” granary)

Typical granaries in South Benin: conical granary, straw/bamboo granary

Common granaries: North of Mozambique

Challenges identified – technologies, practices

Big losses in traditional granaries: prone to humidity

and pest attacks, not air-tight.

Stocks in super bags: often not well sealed, exposed

to rain, dust etc. and also not air-tight.

Harvest that is left (“stored”) in the fields (lack of

storage facility or means of transport) Losses

Inadequate drying: losses and secondary

infestation, lack of hygienic precautions losses

during storage !

Challenges identified …….

Improper use of chemicals, lack of

knowledge

Theft – some farmers keep stocks indoors.

Collective storage is not popular (cultural

reasons, mismanagement in earlier

projects…)

Well performing techniques such as triple

bags and metal silo: not available on local

markets, not promoted (anymore)…

Challenges identified …….

Collective storage is not popular (cultural reasons,

mismanagement in earlier projects…)

Well performing techniques such as triple bags and

metal silo: not available on local markets, not

promoted (anymore)…

Post harvest market systems………

Challenges identified – postharvest market system

Raw materials

and inputs

Advisory

services,

extension

Information &

dissemination Financial

services

Transport

Regulation,

standards

Handling of

stocks

Storage

traditions

Support functions

Rules

Offer of

technology

Fix and apply rules

Demand of

technology

Core

functions

Inform and communicate

Price of

stocked

products

Warrantage

Theft

Gender

Challenges identified – postharvest market system

Raw materials

and inputs

Advisory

services,

extension

Information &

dissemination Financial

services

Transport

Regulation,

standards

Handling of

stocks

Storage

traditions

Support functions

Rules

Offer of

technology

Fix and apply rules

Demand of

technology

Core

functions

Inform and communicate

Technical and

financial partners

Producer

organisations

Price of

stocked

products

Warrantage

Local NGOs &

consultants

International NGOsProjects

Micro-finance

institutes (CLCAM,

PADME etc.)

Traders

Distributors

Retailers

Transporter

Ministery of

Agriculture

Processors (maize

mills, oil mills)

Communal

administration

Radio

Theft

Farmers

Artisans (e.g. banco

granary)Gender

Roles & Responsibilities

• Overall coordination of initiative and the

implementation of the initiative in focus countries,

linkage of partners

• Technical advice/backstopping on postharvest and

food security

• Linkage of project with other 2 PHL projects of GPFS

• Convening local level, national and regional policy

dialogue platforms

• Establish link between initiative and other national

and regional processes/frameworks (e.g. CAADP, /

NEPAD, etc.)

• Ensure that PHL issues are addressed at level of

policy dialogue

Roles & Responsibilities (cont.)

• Innovate on appropriate rural advisory services for

PHM

• Capitalise and disseminate successful PHM

experiences through national and regional networks of

rural advisory services.

• Link initiative PHM with other African networks.

• Strengthen/backstop AFAAS & ensure link with

GFRAS

• Technical & conceptual advice to include PHM in rural

advisory services

• Capitalization of experiences related to rural advisory

services for PHM

What we want to achieve....

GOAL

Food security of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa is increased

through reduced postharvest losses at farm and community level

Outcome 1:

Improved handling and

storage options within

the grains and pulses

value chains are

benefitting smallholder

farmers in pilot

countries.

Lead: HELVETAS

Swiss Intercooperation

Outcome 2:

Good practice

options for reducing

postharvest losses

are compiled,

disseminated and

scaled up.

Lead: AFAAS /

Agridea

Outcome 3

Appropriate regulatory

frameworks on

reducing post-harvest

losses in fod supply

chains are introduced

and implemented at

national and regional

levels and financing is

secured.

Lead: FANRPAN

Our intervention strategy....

Two levels:

1. Rural households and communities:

Promotion of PHL management schemes for food self-sufficiency,

market development and income generation

2. Linkage of national, regional and continental (SSA) level by:

a) organizing and promoting learning and sharing

b) developing innovative approaches for rural advisory services

(RAS)

c) contributing to advocacy an policy dialogue

Our intervention strategy....

Validation /

Compilation of

effective, available,

affordable PHM

technologies /

practices

Bring in PHM topic in

- Policies

- Innovative RAS

- Communities of

Practices

Evidence !

• We are not a local project, but a regional project with local

pilots

• Our objective is scale through systematisation and replication of

successful technologies and practices (We do not re-invent the

wheel…)

Progress after 1,5 years

?

?

?

• In-depth analysis of local PHM market systems in Ben/Moz., key

constraints identified (technologies, grain markets, input markets, RAS

systems, policies)

• Assessment of key technologies / practices in terms of PHL, cost-

benefit, availability etc.: clay silo, metal silo, triple bags, Zero Fly bag,

drying / cleaning practices (trials)

• Participatory evaluation of these techniques started in 2014, with 200

farmers resp. demonstration fields in each country.

Progress after 1,5 years (2)

?

?

?

• Metal silo: analysis of input supply chains (import of raw material,

artisans, costs) by PHM expert ongoing; prototypes of metal silos

produced

• Training of artisans and farmers on production of storage

technologies (120 in each country)

• Sensitization of communities on PHM by radio dissemination,

events at village level, leaflets

• Assessment of warehouse receipt systems, pilots started in Benin

Progress after 1,5 years (3)

?

?

?

• Existing RAS systems, methodologies and tools

analysed through 2 national (Ben,Moz), 1 regional

(E-Africa) and 1 local studies (Benin)

existing materials compiled

• First dissemination material for farmer sensitization

developed (posters, leaflets, radio emissions)

• Collaboration with Access Agriculture formalized for

production of didactic videos in local languages

• Curricula for RAS agents, Trainer of Trainers,

artisans in elaboration in both countries

• Building up of national PHM networks – GO, NGOs,

RAS agents, companies etc.

• Virtual platform on PHM for regional (SSA) RAS

community launched

Progress after 1,5 years (4)

?

?

?

• Current national policies reg. PHM

analysed in each country (2 studies)

• «Policy briefs» published based on

findings of studies, addressing decision

makers & national/local governments

• Analysis of national PHM norms and

standards conducted (both countries,

road map for improvements proposed)

• Yearly national policy dialogue events

organized on PHM in each country, with

key actors from GO, NGOs, private

sector

• PHM prominently put on the agenda of

the yearly regional FANRPAN policy

dialogue event (Lesotho, Madagascar)

• Access database on PHM related policy

messages under construction.

First learnings and conclusions

• Input markets for PHM technologies (even simple ones..) are

quasi non existant in Ben./Moz. and generally in SSA.

High costs for technologies…

• PHM has been and is being neglected in national policies and

programmes

• Only a few RAS tools & materials on PHM exist; in national

extension services PHM is hardly tackled

• A lot has been done on PHM in the last two decades, but mostly

small, isolated initiatives (NGOs); no systematic approach

We are at the very beginning in SSA (compared to Latin Amer.)

There are a lot of small success stories around to build on

• Storage is important, but pre-storage steps are at least as crucial!

– timely harvesting, drying, sorting, …

• Strong focus nedds to be on grain quality & nutrition

Relevance for nutrition / health in national policies!

Markets ask and pay for better quality

Thank you your attention