1. INTEGRATING NUTRITION INTO VALUE CHAINS -ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING 29-30 June 2017-Lilongwe Hotel
FUM

2. Presentation Outline Introduction Project Objectives
Geographic Zones of Influence
Targeted Beneficiaries
Activities Implemented
Achievements
Challenges
Lessons learnt

3. INTRODUCTION
FUM is an umbrella body of all the FOs in Malawi. It is one of the implementing partners under the USAID funded Feed the Future- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Rising Africa Bridging Activity in three districts namely Dedza, Lilongwe and Mchinji. FUM is in 5 EPAs and is reaching out a total of 6,158 farmers in soya production

4. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The main objective of BA is inclusive agriculture sector growth that will contribute to improved household incomes.
This will be achieved through two Intermediate results:
Improved agricultural productivity; and
Expanded markets and trade.

5. GEOGRAPHIC ZONES OF INLUENCE
FUM is operating in three districts covering five Extension Planning Areas and five cooperatives as shown in table below
District
EPA
Cooperative
Dedza
Linthipe
Chitowo Soya Coop
Lilongwe
Chitsime
Nachichi
Chileka
Nyanja
Mchinji
Chiosya
Machichi
Mikundi

6. TARGET ED BENEFICIARIES
Targeting was jointly done with DAES and FO leaders. Farmers that are FO members having paid membership and hold shares were given a priority. A total of 6,158 households were registered.
District
EPA
Cooperative
Beneficiaries
Dedza
Linthipe
Chitowo
1474
Lilongwe
Chitsime
Nachichi
351
Chileka
Nyanja
2433
Mchinji
Chiosya
Machichi
950
Mikundi
TOTAL
6,158

7. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED
Farmer Mobilization and Beneficially Targeting
Trainings -Crop Husbandry (Pre-planting ToT)
-Pest and Disease Management
-Collective Marketing & Sales Options
-Produce Quality & Post Harvest Management
Seed Distribution
Field Days -Good Agronomic Practices
-Harvesting
Aggregation Planning
Aggregation & Marketing

8. A total of 6,158 house holds were registered
ACHIEVEMENTS
Farmer Mobilization: FUM held a series of meetings sensitizing farmers and stake holders about the BA.
Following these mobilization meetings, five FOs were engaged and house hold registration and verification exercise was jointly undertaken with DAES.
A total of 6,158 house holds were registered

9. ACHIEVEMENTS Cont….
Training-Crop Husbandry-Pre-Planting: IITA RA-BA organized a crop husbandry ToT on land preparation, ridge alignment, planting and demonstration plot lay out prior to seed distribution. The target group for the TOT was Bridging Activity partner staff and DAES so that they cascade to lead and follower farmers.

10. ACHIEVEMENTS Cont…
Identification of Demonstration Plots: FUM in collaboration with DAES and lead farmers carried out the exercise to select sites where demonstration plots were mounted. A total of 35 sites were identified

11. 63, 070 kilograms of Makwacha Soya bean seed was distributed.
ACHIEVEMENTS Cont…
Seed Distribution: Seed distribution was carried in the month of December 2016.
A total of 6,158 farmers in the five zones of influence received soya bean seed.
Distribution was carried out by the cooperative leaders with the help of government staff.
63, 070 kilograms of Makwacha Soya bean seed was distributed.

12. Seed Distribution ACHIEVEMENTS Cont… EPA Cooperative Type of Seed
# of Farmers
QTY of Seed Distributed (kgs).
Linthipe
Chitowo
Soya-Makwacha
1,474
14,740
Chitsime
Nachichi
351
5,000
Chileka
Nyanja
2,433
24,330
Chiosya
Machichi
950
9,500
Mikundi
Total
6,158
63,070

13. Technology Adoption
It was pleasing to see that following the trainings a lot of farmers applied the technologies. The technologies include; double role planting, Inoculant application, correct spacing, Improved varieties etc

14. TRAINING IN PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
FUM trained a total of 695 L & A farmers and 16 govt staff in Pest and Disease Management. The training was held in all the EPAs as shown in the table below
District
EPA
Participants
Total
Govt Staff
MALE
FEM
Male
Fem
Dedza
Linthip 26 24 50 2 1 3
LIlongwe
Chitsim 30 20
Chileka 86 67
153
Mchinji
Mikund
145
113
258 5
Chiosya
114 70
184
401
294
695 12 4 16

15. PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT TRAINING Cont…
TRAINING CONTENT
Identifying pest and diseases in legumes
Signs and symptoms
Controlling pest and Diseases
Methods of treatment
Impact of pest and Diseases on crop yields

16. PEST AND DISEASE MGT Cont…..
Training sessions in progress in Linthipe and Chitsime EPAs

17. Visitors interacted with farmers to learn more from them
MONITORING VISITS
visits were undertaken by a number of stake holders (USAID, IITA, government, FUM etc) to appreciate technology adoption, crop development and challenges being faced by the farmers.
Visitors interacted with farmers to learn more from them

18. Field Visits
USAID officials appreciating crop fields in Mchinji and Dedza

19. Field Visit Cont…
Pest attack; It was observed that some fields had been attacked by pests (caterpillars/leaf rollers) which were damaging the crop

20. Field Visit Cont…
Farmers were advised to spray their fields to avoid damage that could affect the yield

21. Field Days
Agronomic Husbandry Field days were held to enable farmers appreciate different technologies. Below summary of Attendants
District
EPA
Participants
Total
Government Staff
Male
Female
Dedza
Linthipe
309 66
375 6 2 8
Lilongwe
Chitsime
241
125
366 4 10
Chileka
182 92
274
Mchinji
Chiosya 50 34 84 3 1
Mikundi
215
193
408 5 7
TOTAL
997
510
1507 26 13 39

22. Field Days Cont….
Field days in Linthipe and Chileka EPAs

23. Field Days Cont….
Patrons listening to speeches (right) Below farmers appreciating technologies

24. Advancing Value Chain Competitiveness
Aggregation Planning To encourage collective marketing, IITA held orientation sessions in all the five ZOI aimed at encouraging farmers develop aggregation plans. The aggregation planning tool helped to ensure that every member makes a commitment of how much they would deposit. The plans were submitted to FO leaders .

25. Field days on good harvesting practice: FUM collaborated with Palladium to carry out field days on harvesting. This was to showcase good harvesting practices that deter loses and ensure nutrients are maintained in the soil. Most farmers were used to harvesting Soy by uprooting, a system which destroy nutrients that are contained in the noodles.

26. Field Days Cont…
Farmers were encouraged to harvest Soya using a sickle as it helps to leave nutrients in the soil other than uprooting. This is how we do it! A farmer demonstrating how Soya should be harvested

27. Field Days Cont…..
Threshing : Also showcased during the field days was a good practice in threshing of soybean. Soy is threshed on mats, burlap bags or plastic sheet in order to have clean and quality commodity other than threshing direct on soil where the commodity becomes dirty and dusty

29. Field Days Cont….. Patrons during Harvesting Field Days EPA Farmers
Total
Govt Staff
Partners
Grand Total
Male
Fema
Femal
Chitsime
103 92
195 6 12 4
211
Chileka
121 50
171 3
186
Linthipe
145
150
295 5 1
304
Chiosya 65 85 7
160
Mikundi 97 66
163 8
174
531
443
974 31 14 45 16
1035

30. TRAINING IN COLLECTIVE MARKETING AND SALES OPTIONS
FUM in collaboration with ACE organized trainings in Collective Marketing and WRS. Participants included lead and assistant lead farmers and DAES.
The training was tailor made to equip farmers with knowledge in collective marketing, WRS and other sales options

31. TRAINING IN COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont…
Farmers were enlightened on how trade facilitators such as ACE collects and disseminates information to farmers. The Information include price and trade alerts which is disseminated through SMS for free
Above left, farmers listening to the facilitator during marketing training at Mikundi EPA, right farmers following the presentation at Chiosya

32. TRAINING IN COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont…
Summary of Trained Participants
EPA
Farmers
Total
Govt Staff
Partners
Grand Total
Male
Fema
Femal
Chileka 52 50
102 2 3 5 1
110
Chitsime 55
105 4 8
116
Mikundi 80
132
139
Chiosya 88 48
136
143
Linthipe 38 37 75 79
531
237
550 14 7 21 12 16
587

33. TRAINING IN COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont…..
Certificate Awards To motivate the farmers, ACE awarded certificates to best participants at the end of the training

34. FIELD MONITORING VISIT
Monitoring visits were undertaken by a number of stake holders including, IITA, government and FUM secretariat. The purpose was to appreciate seed repayment process, commodity aggregation and challenges being faced
Above, officials from IITA interacting with a lead farmer and appreciating a well graded Soya during one of the field visits in Linthipe.

35. DISTRIBUTION OF EMPTY SACKS
Farmers were forthcoming to repay the seed loan. However the challenge was on empty sacks to collect and keep the repaid seed. To address the challenge, FUM procured a total of 3,500 empty sacks which were distributed to the cooperatives.

36. SEED LOAN RECOVERY
One of the key objectives of the INVC Bridging Activity is to facilitate farmers’ access to quality inputs to ensure high productivity.
FUM distributed a total of 63,070 kgs of Makwacha Soya bean seed to 6,158 farmers on loan in December 2016 for a 1:2 repayment rate.
FO leaders worked together with the lead farmers to ensure that the loan is recovered. Farmers were repaying the loan through the lead farmers in their respective clubs. The seed was then aggregated in the clusters before moved to designated warehouses in the cooperatives.

37. SEED LOAN RECOVERY Cont….
It is expected that the recovered seed will be sold through ACE platform in order to create a fund that will enable farmers access inputs. Below some of the recovered seed

38. SEED LOAN RECOVERY CONT……
Below repayment details
EPA
Cooperative
Seed Type
# of Farmers
QTY Distrib (kgs)
QTY Repaid
% Repaid
Linthipe
Chitowo
Soya
1,474
14,740
29,500
100%
Chitsime
Nachichi
351
5,000
10,000
Chileka
Nyanja
2,433
24,330
29,250
60%
Chiosya
Machichi
950
9,500
14,750
78%
Mikundi
15,200
80%
Total
6,158
63,070
95,050
83.6%

39. PRODUCE QUALITY, POST HARVEST AND STORAGE MGT
Post-harvest losses occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption. They include on-farm losses, losses during threshing, winnowing, and drying, as well as losses along the chain during transportation, storage, and processing. In Malawi major post harvest losses occur on-farm, during storage when the grain is being stored for auto-consumption or while the farmer awaits a selling opportunity or a rise in prices. FUM organized training in Post Harvest Management to ensure reduction of post harvest losses and produce quality. The trainings centered on warehousing, stacking and handling

40. PRODUCE QUALITY and POST HARVEST AND STORAGE MGT
Storage/Warehousing: Farmers were encouraged to keep their soy in a clean and well ventilated warehouse free from leakages. Stacking: Farmers were advised to stack commodities on either pallets or dannage poles 1 meter away from the walls for air circulation to avoid afflatoxin, rodents and ease of counting Handling: Farmers were also drilled on sorting and grading and were encouraged to dry their soybean on tarps or burlap bags to ensure free from musty, and other undesired odour and package it in clean bags.

41. COMMODITY AGGREGATION AND COLLECTIVE MARKETING
Collective marketing remains the most effective market solution for the small holder farmers. However collective marketing cannot take place without the farmers aggregating their commodities. FUM joined hands with FO leaders to conduct sensitization campaigns encouraging farmers to aggregate their commodities and sell in bulk. Farmers who aggregated, saw the benefits of collective marketing having sold their commodity (soya) at better prices than those who opted to sell individually.

42. AGGREGATION AND COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont..
FOs that aggregated and sold collectively are Nyanja, Chitowo, Machichi and Mikundi Cooperatives. ie-Nyanja cooperative aggregated a total of metric tons of soybean which they sold to Goods for Good Organization.
Goods for Good bought the commodity at MK200/kg when the market price was MK150/kg.
The cooperative made MK4,850,000 instead of MK3,637,500 had they sold the same quantity individually, meaning they realized MK1,212,500 more for selling collectively.

43. AGGREGATION AND COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont..
Aggregation and Collective Marketing in Picture-Nyanja Coop

44. AGGREGATION AND COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont..
It was all smiles for members of Chitowo Soya Cooperative after the collective sale

45. AGGREGATION AND COLLECTIVE MARKETING Cont..
And they can afford at least a decent home!!

46. CHALLENGES
There was a delay in project roll out as a result of delay in signing of project agreement. This means that FUM started implementing the activities without boots on the ground
Some impact areas couldn’t be accessed due to heavy rains that rendered the roads impassable.
Some fields were attacked by pests causing damage to the crop
There was leaching in some fields due to heavy rains
There are fears that some farmers whose fields were water logged and those whose fields were attacked by pests can experience low yields

47. CHALLENGES Cont…
Some farmers are located far from designated aggregation centers and this posed a challenge in commodity transportation
High transportation costs affected commodity aggregation
Low prices in Soya and other grain commodities affected collective marketing in a way that some farmers withdrew their commodities from aggregation points
Some farmers were making unrealistic price demands which deterred potential buyers

48. CLESSONS LEARNT
As we strive for farmers to have production increase, aggregation and marketing we should also plan on how the commodity will reach the market as transportation has proved to be another challenge for the farmers
We should invest in building the capacity of farmers to do a simple gross margin analysis so that they be realistic in their price determination

49. END OF PRESENTATION Th
Thank You!!