Enhancing the adoption of animal traction conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe

Enhancing the adoption of animal traction conservation agriculture in

Zimbabwe

Walter Mupangwa, Christian Thierfelder, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Stephanie Cheesman

28 March 2011

Projects focus

Fitarelli jab-planter

AT Direct seeder Magoye ripper

Basin planting

Promotion of CA equipment

• Capacity building - NGOs and NARES in the use of animal traction CA systems

• Development and dissemination of CA equipment

• Provision of a credit facility to farmers to purchase CA equipment and herbicides

Pre-season training of implementing partners

Projects design

Work with partners – innovation network

SmallholderFarmers

Input Suppliers

CSFS

Grownet/HASTT

CIMMYT

NGOs/AREX

• Targeted communities – adapted research on farmers’ fields

• CIMMYT provides technical support to partners – training, extension materials

• CIMMYT conducts biophysical and socio-economic research on the animal traction CA options

What has worked well

• Training implementing partners

• 190 on-farm demonstrations established for 2010/11

• Development of 2 seeder prototypes

… What has worked well

… What has worked well

• Farmers accessing CA equipment and herbicides through a revolving fund

• 38 farmers bought CA equipmentand glyphosate

Challenges

• Late start of the project

• Late delivery of inputs and CA equipment to farmers

Delayed planting on CA demonstration plots

… Challenges

Poor weed control Incessant rains in January 2011 - waterlogging

… Challenges

• Locally assembled direct seeder had multiple operational problems

• Lack of mulching materials

• Poor relations between implementing partners

Long dry spell – February 2011

Lessons learnt• Community based research – understand where technology works and does not work

• First year is full of challenges - > 1 season to promote technologies

• Working with private sector – way of promoting CA technology

• Partner selection critical for success – same agenda

• Avail credit facilities to smallholder farmers

Way forward

• More training to partners – CA equipment & herbicides

• Continue with revolving fund

• Further testing & perfecting CA equipment prototypes

• Bring in more partners especially CA equipment manufacturers to push prices down

• More research on socio-economic and biophysical impact of CA systems

• Provide extension materials

Thank you