Role of support services in enhancing competitiveness of smallholder livestock farmers

Mc Loyd Banda

Department of Agricultural Research Services, Malawi

Conference on Policies for Competitive Smallholder Livestock Production

Gaborone, Botswana, 4-6 March 2015

Outline

• Introduction• Supporting services and their roles

• Lead farmer concept• Biogas technology• Manure management

• Conclusion

Introduction Characteristics of smallholder farming: • Maize based mixed farming system• Small livestock numbers per household • Low production levels

Small-holder

80%

Com-mercial

20%

Intro’’ continue Smallholder livestock farmers in southern Africa are challenged by a number of factors including:

• lack of access to appropriate information on new technologies, • complexity or high labour demanding technologies, • lack of organized markets that often results in an unscrupulous market system.

Support services to improve competitiveness of smallholder livestock farmers:

1. Lead farmer concept

2. Biogas technology and manure management

Lead farmer concept

• The lead farmer concept is being promoted in Malawi as a method to enhance adoption of technologies.

• It also shows potential to achieve organized market channels in farmer associations.

Roles of lead farmers• Village extension agents• Promotion of agric. Technologies• Role models in modern farming approaches

Selection criteria of lead farmer

• The characteristics of a Lead Farmer:• Willing to share the information with others;• Able to lead others;• Early adopter of technology;• A communicator with good facilitation skills;• Should be honest, trustworthy and humble;• Be development conscious;• Be tolerant;• Should originate from the village and socially accepted by the community;• Be able to sacrifice for others;• Be cooperative and approachable

Lead farmer capacity building

Some of the useful trainings to capacitate livestock lead farmer

1. Livestock management practices including housing, feeding, breeding, diseases and pest control.

2. Capacity building to paravets

3. Fodder establishment and management

4. Feed preservation/ storage and formulation

5. Marketing skills include the business plans, market search etc.

Crop-livestock integrated project

Renewable energy

Livestock enterpriseCrop enterpriseLead farmer

concept

Collective marketing thru lead farmer concept

Collective marketing through lead farmers• CLIP lead farmers & follower

farmers in an EPA have formed an association

• To facilitate collective marketing at areal level – bargaining power

• Organized market search (e.g. use of community radio)

5 lead farmers per EPA

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#

#

#

#

# ##

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# ##

#

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#

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CHAMAMA

MKANDA

KALULUMA

LISASADZI

SANTHE

BOWE

KASUNGU GAME RESERVE

CHULU

MALOMO

MSITU

MIKUNDI

KASUNGU/CHIPALA

KALULUMA

MLONYENI

MVERA

MADISI KALIRE

CHIWOSYA

CHISEPO

CHIKWATULA

NACHISAKA

MNDOLERA

CHIPHUKA

MPONELA

CHIBVALA

NALUNGA

Kasungu ADD EPAsMulonyeni EPAChiosya EPAMkanda EPAMikundi EPAKasungu Game ReserveMajor RoadsMajor Rivers

# Lead farmers Location

80000 0 80000 160000 Meters

N

KASUNGU AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISIONSCROP LIVESTOCK INTERGRATED PROJECT

Lead Farmer Location

LEGEND

Biogas and manure management in enhancing competitiveness of livestock farmers

Similar to Bokashi manureMixture of animal fecal matter, fertilizer tree leaves, ash, virgin soil and add water then cover with plastic - wait for 21 days to mature

Windrow type

• Popularized manure management activities in Malawi

Liquid manure (dung and water) – apply after 21 days

Pelleted chicken droppings manure

Pit manure makingMud coated

manure (common)

Challenges in composting• Exposure of animal manure to sunlight

• Poor quality of compost

• Low quantity of compost made at household (application rate: 5 - 20t/ha)

Shortage of manure

Shortage of crop residues

Shortage of ash Shoratge of labour Lack of practical knowledge

Lack of focus0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

8%4%

0%

8%

56%

24%

0%

12%

0%

27% 27%

35%

What Contributes To Poor Quality And Low Quanti ty Of Compost in Dedza, Malawi

Quality of compost Quantity of compost

Biogas technology for a smallholder farmer and manure management

Some requirements and production estimates from digesters

Gas plant type (model)

Number of animals (cattle)

Water & dung per day (1:1)

Gas produced per day (cu m)

Sun dried fertilizer produced per day (kg)

Number of people served by gas (cooking and lighting)

2 cubic meter 4 70 2 4-8 4-5

4 cubic meter 8 160 4 8-16 9-11

10 cubic meter 20 400 18 20-40 20-30

Advantage of composting by biogas technology

• Production of clean domestic energy

• Less emission of SLCPs into atmosphere

• Less drudgery in composting

• Continuous production of compost manure by digesters

Cattl

e du

ng

Biogas

Crop

pro

ducti

on

Gas utilized

Conclusion

• Emphasis on livestock lead farmers for livestock production and marketing

• Value addition to animal fecal matter through biogas technology

• Animal manure management knowledge in crop –livestock integration farming

Thank you for listening

10th European Development Fund The African Component of the ACP Research

Programme for Sustainable Development