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YIELD / CmiA Program Approach to Improving Smallholder Cotton yields in Zambia. Ben M. Sekamatte , YIELD / Cotton Made in Africa Program Manager, Dunavant Zambia. Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA. Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA. Dunavant Zambia Head office. Overview.
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YIELD / CmiA Program Approach to Improving Smallholder Cotton yields in Zambia Ben M. Sekamatte, YIELD / Cotton Made in Africa Program Manager, Dunavant Zambia Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA Dunavant Zambia Head office
Overview • Background • Productivity concerns • The YIELD / CmiA Approach • Outputs – Lessons learnt • Conclusions
1.Dominantly smallholder, lint export sub-sector 90% COMESA ZONE EU, China, India Ginnery Farmer Long chain of Value addition-garments Chain of traders 2nd hand cloth dealer EU customer Uses shirt 2yrs Retail stores
Comparative cotton Productivity • Post liberalization profitability of the cotton sector in Zambia & and across Africa is hampered by chronically low on-farm yields- rarely >600kg /ha; Except Egypt over 900kg /ha. • A major factor for Africa’s competitiveness • Effects of Sharply declining world lint prices greatly felt • Declining farmer enthusiasm
The YIELD/ Cotton made in Africa Program Programme: A private –Public partnership to empower smallholder cotton farmers
Germany DEG & Dunavant Partnership • Y = yield • I = improvement • E = empowerment • L = learning • D = discipline
Productivity-supportive innovations • Attempts to add value at the production level through Yield enhancement • CmiA program innovatively organizes and trains smallholder farmers to improve production efficiency
Focus of the Yield Program • Early & proper land preparation • Correct Time of planting • Correct plant population • Keeping a weed-free crop • Wise Pest Management • Improve production efficiency & therefore yield, • Increase net EARNINGS, • Improve ECOLOGICAL & SOCIAL sustainability • Through tailored training of 100,000 farmers in 2 years
Program Set up • Program Manager • 2 Zonal Managers • 18 Area Coordinators • 280 Site Coordinators • 2800 Lead Farmers • >40,000 Collaborating farmers
Training: Process & Focus • Attitude Change • Field staff • Farmers • Business mindedness Yield Profit Price CoP
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA Area-Based training of Farmer Trainers
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA Training: Process & Focus • Area coordinators train up to 20 Site Coordinators • Individual Site Coordinators (in picture) PracticallyDemonstrate groups of 10 Lead farmers
Outputs & Lessons learned so far Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA Ordinary Farmers analysis
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA CmiA Farmers analysis
Dunavant Zambia-founding partner in CmiA Per Ha Net incomes in US $
Conclusions • The highly inefficient farmer –level segment of the cotton value Chain can be improved through farmer empowerment programs. 2. Private-Public Cooperation e.g. CmiA can help change face of the industry & improve farmers’ incomes 3. YIELD / CmiA program presents a classical example of innovations for smallholder cotton productivity enhancement.