ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

Overall lessons learned

Investments should not be driven by chose of technology but by a more integrated approach

to farmers’ livelihood needs and opportunities.

Trust in the agencies, MIS agriculture and markets was built up based on servicing farmers’

priorities first.

Market approach to MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor

A market approach to MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor is feasible conditioned to the

(decreasing) use of subsidies, preferably coupled to rural financial services (credits & savings).

o Local production versus import: MIS technologies need quick adaptation to farmers’

needs and specificity of plots. Importing MIS is not a cost/quality-effective choice

(e.g. Madagascar and Guatemala). The minimum critical volume for a micro-

enterprise to maintain good manufacturing and sales operations is 20-30% of the total

income of the enterprise.

o It is appropriate to identify a community based focal person who provides farmers

with technical and agricultural support, new technologies or spare parts (direct link

with retailer). This services should create income to the focal person as well satisfy

farmers’ needs (e.g. India)

o Farmers must trust the investment they will undertake. This happens when they

believe they could gain more than what they invest (e.g. India, Madagascar) and

having the cash at hand to do so.

Recommendations

Strengthening the supply chain: new MIS technology and spare pieces should be made

available locally to satisfy the demand (to expand cultivated area or fix parts of technology)

and to do not lose client credibility.

Client diversification for market sustainability: manufacturers and dealers should sell to

various types of clients or groups of producers (not only vulnerable farmers): cooperatives,

agricultural-enterprises, NGOs, rural livelihood enhancing programs, individual middle-class

farmers. Poorest farmers alone do not constitute a sufficiently large critical mass.

Promotion of pro-poor MIS technologies

Promotion of MIS needs to be complemented with skill development of prospective clients in

intensive irrigated agriculture and coupled to home consumption and marketing of surplus products

(see table A below).

o To attract farmers’ interest in an innovative technology, they need to be provided

with knowledge of intensive agricultural practices (often completely lacking); an

appropriate amount of time should be dedicated to capacity building at least in the

first phase (see table B below) (e.g. Guatemala)

ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

o The private sector should be involved in promotion activities, in order to understand

their clients’ characteristics and needs (e.g. India)

o Women and youth have been specifically targeted in the promotion strategies as they

are crucial in decision making processes and correct use of MIS (e.g., Guatemala).

Recommendations

Farmers capacity building has to be strengthened especially on preparation and use of natural

pesticides and fertilizers (avoid expenses for chemicals or crops losses) and high value

production for the market.

Saving and credit institutions should accompany the promotion activities (the farmers will

immediately know which are the options to make the investment)

A. Examples of complementary skills for MIS adoption

Info obtained from farmers and staff interviews (MSC)

Food security

- Food security and nutrition

- Vegetable storage/conservation

- Natural pesticides& fertilizers preparation/use

- Seeds reproduction; use of native species

- Youth and women participation

Income

generation/market

- Income generation production methods

- High value crops

- Savings methods and micro-financial institution linkages

- Processing food (for market purpose)

- Market chain development and strengthening group production dynamic and

strategies

Technical

complementarities

- Grey water reuse for agriculture

- Health and medicinal plants cultivation and use

- Improved water caption system (e.g. for multiple purposes)

B. Time for effective MIS introduction and production

Info obtained from staff interviews

Installation

and use of MIS

First month: 1 time

per week Land preparation; identification appropriate water source; plot

design; technology installation and maintenance.

Main issue: correct use and storage of technology Following 10 months:

1 time/month

Intensive

agriculture

production

First 4 months: 1 time

every 2 weeks

Training in preparation and use of fertilizers and natural pesticide;

seeds planting and reproduction; vegetables diversification and

rotation of vegetables.

Main issue: correct technique implementation. Following 10 months:

1 time/month

ANNEX 4: Lessons Learned

Targeting the rural poor

Women and youth are crucial in decision making over purchase and use of MIS, hence they need to

be included in targeting strategies.

o Collaboration with local organizations trusted by vulnerable farmers, will help in

targeting and securing effective follow up on the farmers’ learning process (e.g.

Madagascar)

o Youth and women are important entry points to address rural livelihood improvement

needs: targeting schools (creating school gardens) and groups of women (e.g. Guatemala)

are appropriate means to introduce MIS

o A dynamic and participatory monitoring and evaluation system is useful to secure,

real impact on rural poor (e.g. Guatemala).

Recommendations

Identify specific strategies to target women and youth with MIS directly or through

local organizations.

The project strategy should be flexible enough to change the activities if required by

beneficiary needs.

Subsidies to open the market of MIS equipment relevant for the rural poor

Smart use of (decreasing) subsidies at end user level could be useful to create the minimum critical

volume of clients for small entrepreneurs and to attract farmers’ interest. The subsidies strategy

should be coupled to rural financial services (credits & savings).

o Subsidies at farmer levels created the basis for the development of a MIS market not

existing before (e.g. Guatemala and Madagascar).

o Where a quick decrease in subsidies is enforced, demand was badly affected. It

should be coupled with credit-savings initiatives (e.g. Madagascar).

o Subsidies strategy should be coupled with intensive promotion activities, where

farmers learn the value of the technology and are convinced to invest. (e.g. India)

Recommendations

Avoid high level of subsidies (the lowered demand or growth has to be actively managed) and

couple them to saving-credit strategies.

Subsidies could be used to support micro-enterprise start-up (manufacturers, retailers).