linking small farmers to markets-aarinena case studies,dr. s. habbab

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Case Studies for Linking small Farmers to Markets

Presented ByProf. Mohammad Samir El-

Habbab


Introduction

• The presented case studies were prepared by the scientists in the the research centers in Jordan, Egypt and Yemen.

• My job was to rearrange the prepared reports to cope with the “Global Partnership Program: Linking Farmers to Markets” (GPP-LFM)


The Case Studies• Case Study 1: Introducing Organic Farming

System in Olive Production in Jordan and Linking Small Farmers to Markets

National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE)- Jordan

• Case Study 2: The Development of Poor Sandy Soil in the Desert Areas

• in Upper Egypt Agricultural Research Center (ARC)-Egypt

• Case Study 3: Revitalization Community Based Traditional Seed in Yemen: Experience of the Outreach Seed Program Agricultural Research and Extension Authority (AREA)

Research and Extension Authority (AREA)-Yemen


Case Study 1Introducing Organic Farming System in Olive Production in

Jordan and Linking Small Farmers to Markets

Purpose of the Case Study

1-Describe the intervention that successfully linked small producers to markets.

2- Identify and describe those best practices that lead to the successful linkage of small producers to markets.

3- Critically review the selected case to:– Identify those elements that enhance

success. – Identify those elements that represent

the greater opportunity for replication regionally and globally.

– Identify the feasibility of scaling up and funding for those elements that enhance success.


Objectives of the Project

The main objectives of the project are:• Improving the economic, social, and

environmental impacts of olive cultivation.• Upgrading the economical situation of rural

farmers by applying Fair-Trade System• Introduction of organic farming techniques.• Introduction of JAS (Japanese Agricultural

Standards) organic certification.• Introduction of Jordanian organic olive oil

into the international market.• The establishment of a pilot farm for olive

organic farming for future training.

Case Study 1Introducing Organic Farming System

in Olive Production in Jordan and Linking Small Farmers to Markets




Implementation Methodology • The project staff started with the

awareness program throughout lectures, workshops and training of the interested ones.

• Training sessions for farmers were held on organic farming rules and aspects that leading them to get the organic farming certificate according to the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS).




• A contract was signed with the Integrated Company for Olive Products Mill in Ajlun as the main contractor to get the organic farming certificate and to help the farmers getting the same certificate as a lateral contractor through a Japanese certificate body.




Spreading environmentally friendly organic farming methods as follows:

-Water management techniques, include rock basins, small dams for water harvesting and grey-water system for recycling water

-Soil management techniques, including compost making and mulching leading to soil conservation and fertility improvement.

-Mix planting, including green (living) mulch to prevent evaporation and soil erosion, leguminous plants to improve soil fertility etc.




Improving the economic productivity of low income farmers through:

-Reducing the cost of production inputs by using the natural resources.

-Training farmers to use organic techniques.Introducing animal keeping activity such as bee and chicken keeping.

-Encouraging farmers in the target area to establish cooperative group(s) to work to reduce the cost of organic farming and upgrade the quality of organic olive oil.




Introducing the local organic olive oil in to the domestic and foreign markets:

-Raising awareness and promotion of the historical (Old) olive trees.

-Establishing the fair-trade system between the farmers group, olive mill and the final market under project monitoring.

-Conducting the case study for the procedures of certification and marketing of the organic product.


Important Conclusions and Lessons Learnt:

1. The small producers, by grouping together, are getting access to much larger markets.

2. The project, run in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, particularly (NCARE) and the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) has helped nine poor farmers, a local oil press and an exporter to receive full certification meeting Japanese organic standards.

3. Protection the environment, the Permaculture Approach use ecology as the basis of designing integrated systems of food production




Case Study 2The Development of Poor Sandy Soil in the Desert Areas in Upper Egypt

Project Location


Objectives of the ProjectImprove the small farmer's life

economically and socially. 1.Reduce the crowding and dense

population in the Nile valley for better life quality.

2.Implement the recent developments in fertigation techniques to improve the desert land which consists of virgin land but very poor in fertility.

3.Help in producing food to meet the demands for the Egyptian people and substitutes imports of such products by enlarging the cultivated area.

4.Exploit the warm weather in winter to produce high quality and quantity vegetables for local markets and export (off-season production).



Approaches in Implementing the Program:The project was initiated and

implementing by the Agricultural Research Center (ARC).

1- The selection of the region, where winter climate is mild and dry.

2- The selection of land which was determined to be sandy soil in the desert areas.

3- Find out the best artisan water quality. 4- Choosing the vegetable crops which suit the

region, the domestic and international markets.

5- Choosing the high quality, yielding, and long shelf life cultivars.

6- Application of the IPM (Integrated Pest Management) to produce healthy food free from contamination and hazard chemicals.



7- Utilization of F1 hybrid vegetable seeds resistant to diseases to stop the application of pesticides in order to reduce production cost as well as their residual.

8- Conduct workshops to familiarize the residents of Qina Governorate (specially the farmers) about the project.

9. Conduct training sessions for the farmers on all aspects of modern cultivation methods (drip irrigation, fertigation, IPM, harvesting and packing)

10. Researchers worked intensively to find out market windows in the European markets where product prices and demand are usually high. The high quality vegetables, which are produced in the desert area, convinced the wholesalers to purchase these products at premium prices. Thus small farmers are encouraged to expand cultivation in the desert areas, which resulted in closer linkage between the exporters, wholesale traders and the small farmers.



Lessons Learnt and Recommendations:

• Research work, accompanied by the extension service, were the core of success of this business.

• High quality vegetable seeds, locations, timing of production and reasonable agricultural practices recommended by the researchers are the main factors of the success

• Expansion of vegetable area in the desert became a fact. The project helped and encouraged the farmers to move from the narrow Nile valley to the desert through the packages information and advices. It is expected that more areas will be devoted to this business.



• There is a very clear policy on land ownership in the country, where it encourages the producers to get desert land as much as they can exploit. This policy is a very important element for LFM.

• Apply GAP (good agricultural practice system) requirement.

• Finding out additional vegetable varieties and species which are required by the international markets and, at the same time, could be produced under Egyptian environment

• Get knowledge about international and local marketing systems and chains.

• Cary contacts with the wholesale markets and inviting traders to have a look at the products and production system.



Objectives of the Outreach Program:

• The overall development objectives of the outreach program was to improve agricultural productivity of rain fed crops such as sorghum, millet, and maize through the development of sustainable traditional seed systems.

• The provision of some agricultural inputs and techniques to facilitate marketing opportunities for them, and enable them to compete in the seed market.

Case Study 3Revitalization Community Based

Traditional Seed in Yemen


The Immediate objectives could be summarized as follows:

• Preparation of local communities to handle seed production of their indigenous landraces, ecotypes and local materials.

• Assistance of local groups with simple devices for cleaning, storage, packaging, treatment and assessment of seed quality attributes.

• Diffusion and access to information leading to betterment of handling seeds at village levels.

• Encouragement of sustainable activities related to farmers groups while documenting their practices




Approaches in Implementing the Outreach Program:

The Agricultural Research and Extension Authority (AREA) was awarded a contract by the World Bank to implement the program.

Three groups in three stages were included in the program:

• It started with the farmers' leaders as individuals,

• Then with contact farmers in groups,• After that with agricultural cooperative

associations.




Stage One: The farmers' leaders as individuals

1. In areas where it was noted the desire of farmers to work individually, the program selected number of farmers (about 5 farmers) who own leadership characteristics and produce seeds.

2. The program dealt with them as individuals by improving their systems of traditional seeds and provision of some agricultural inputs and techniques to facilitate marketing opportunities for them, and enable them to compete in the seed market.

3. The provided techniques are "field (production) techniques" and\or " post-harvest techniques". This improves the marketing ability for produced seeds.




4.The program had trained the farmers extensively on producing higher quality of seeds to get higher prices for them.

5.During the program implementation, farmers were assisted to construct micro-businesses for the production and distribution of seeds through assistance in building improved small stores, or improving the old stores at their own account.




6. The farmers were provided with some techniques for handling and storing seeds at low cost, such as seed drying yards, improved storage barrels, barrels for seed treatments and simple tools to clean the stores and check the quality of seeds, in addition to plastic bags at a capacity of 50 kg labeled with the name of the project, to enhance the marketing of the produced seeds.

7. The program connected the farmers to the market through the implementation of a number of explanatory activities at the presence of number of farmers, seed distributors, members of associations, civil society organizations and decision makers in the concerned province.




Stage Two: Contact Farmers in Groups 1. In areas where it was noted the desire of

farmers to work as groups, (2-3) groups were formed, each composed of 5-10 members.

2. They were helped to improve the traditional systems of production and handling of seeds in the same way described above.

3. They were also assisted in the establishment of mini-projects for the production and handling of seeds, and were trained intensively on these activities, in addition to ways to improve and maintain the traditional systems of seed, improve seed quality and improved ways of packing and storing the seeds.




Third Stage: The Agricultural Cooperative Associations

• In one pilot area a cooperative associations

was selected, side by side with individual farmers to work with them in the production and handling of seeds.

• The Cooperative Association has been assisted through the creation of a small business which includes building a medium-sized warehouse with a selling space.

• They were provided with a medium-size siege machine which was produced locally, in addition to a large-scale seed thresher.

• The cooperative was provided with simple techniques such as plastic bags and small knitting machines to close the bags.




Important Conclusions and Lessons Learnt:1. The main outcome of this program is the

expansion of seed production by selling improved local varieties of seeds and the expansion of the number of beneficiaries

2. A variety of methodologies focusing on a combination of formal and informal channels for the transfer and exchange of information, strengthening the principle of participation in working with targeted groups of farmers has had a positive impact on information dissemination and exchange of experiences between various partners.

3. Enhanced awareness of farmers about quality seed as a result of the introduction of improved technologies and multiple communication channels.




4.The use of multi-media in the transfer of information to farmers is also one of experiences and lessons learned that have contributed to the success of the program through the production of guidance and various information materials such as pamphlets, posters and miscellaneous cassettes sound and picture slides and videos.

5.Strengthened partnership between different stakeholders, i.e. development agencies, formal and informal farmer groups, and the private sector.

6.Creation of a local market seed supply system, which is in favor of the best-suited material to drier conditions.



linking small farmers to markets-aarinena case studies,dr. s. habbab

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