1. CONCEPT NOTE MECHANISATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Group Members

2. Outline of Presentation
Introduction
Project Justification
Intervention Zones and Target Group
Main objectives of the project
Components, outputs and activities
Costing
Implementation strategy
Project organisation and management
Monitoring and evaluation
Risks

3. Introduction MOFA’s FASDEP II seeks to among others:
Modernise agricultural sector through mechanisation
Ensure food security and income diversification while targeting 80% small scale rice farmers and 20% emergent commercial rice farmers
FASDEP II ensures consistency with
Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda,
NEPAD’s CAADP and the MDGs
Under CAADP agriculture is expected to grow at 6% and 10% government budgetary allocation

4. Justification Development Issues
Poor mechanisation services accessibility due to :
Low tractor-farmer ratio (1:1800, year 2000)
Over aged machinery (over 15 years)
Inadequate mechanisation centres
Limited agricultural machinery for timely farming operations (harvesters, threshers, etc)
High initial capital investment

5. Justification (Con’td)
Effects
Improper paddy field development
High postharvest losses
Low rice production yield
Drudgery and fatigue – youth no longer interested in agriculture leaving farming to the aged
Reduce effective productivity of the rice value chain

6. Justification (Con’td)
84 mechanisation centres established nationwide to provide services to all categories of farmers under MOFA’s Accelerated Agricultural Mechanisation policy .
However, number is inadequate to cater for high demand of machinery services as well as having the full complement of machinery along the rice value chain.
Hence the need for mechanisation infrastructure development

7. Intervention zones and target groups
Mechanisation centres will be established at all rice
growing areas:
Rain-fed lowland,
rain-fed upland,
irrigated fields
However, full complement of machinery at centres will vary from rice ecologies. (E.g. provision of animal traction in Northern Ghana to serve as intermediate technology).
Target groups
Small and medium scale rice farmers and processors in these areas.

8. Main objectives of the project
Global Objective:
To make agricultural mechanization services readily available in a timely and affordable manner to farmers and processors to enhance food security.
Specific Objectives:
Strengthen and expand existing mechanisation services centres
Support the establishment of additional 100 mechanisation services centres in major rice growing districts.

9. Components Four main components of the project:
Capacity building for commercial management of AMSECs
Improving beneficiaries access to AMSEC services
Machinery/equipment maintenance at AMSECs
Coordination

10. Components, Outputs and Activities
Capacity building for commercial management of AMSECs
1.1 Training manuals developed
1.1.1 Conduct training needs assessment for personnel
1.2 All personnel trained
1.2.1 Train/Technical backstop (book keeping, proper handling/operation, etc)
1.3 All categories of personnel recruited
Facilitate the recruitment of personnel (manager, engineer, financial officers, technician, mechanics, operators) to manage the centre

11. Component, Output & Activities (Con’td)
Improving beneficiaries access to AMSEC services
2.1 Suitable sites identified and selected
2.1.1 Conduct feasibility for identification and selection of suitable sites
private companies identified and selected
Identify and select private companies for additional centres
2.3 Signed land agreement and 100 mechanisation centres constructed
2.3.1 Negotiate for land use and construct mechanisation centres
2.4 AMSEC rehabilitated
Rehabilitate existing AMSEC
2.5 Mechanisation centres equipped
Stock centres with requisite machinery along rice value chain
2.6 Farmers sensitised
Sensitise farmers of importance of mechanisation

12. Component, Output & Activities (con’td)
Machinery/equipment maintenance at AMSECs
3.1 Machinery identified and introduced
Identify and introduce appropriate and suitable machinery along the value chain
3.2 AMSEC workshops rehabilitated
Rehabilitate existing AMSEC workshops with up to date tools/equipment
3.3 Spare parts points set up
Facilitate the set up of spare parts points at operation areas of centres
3.4 Machinery/equipment maintained
Sensitise operators to carry out daily and routine maintenance on machinery/equipment

13. Component, Output & Activities (Con’td)
Coordination
4.1 Meeting organised
Organise consultation meetings with stakeholders
4.2 Monitoring visits carried out
Carry out monitoring and evaluation visits

14. Costing Component Funds allocated (US$) Remarks (%)
Capacity building for commercial management of AMSECs
0.5 M 10
Improving beneficiaries access to AMSEC services
3.0 M 63
Machinery/equipment maintenance at AMSECs
1.0 M 21
Coordination
0.3 M 6
Total
4.8 M
100

15. Implementation strategy of the Project
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs)
MMDAs will be encouraged to apply some of their Common Fund to establish AMSECs in their districts .
Private Companies/Enterprise
Private Companies will own the centres
Managing Director, who may employ a team of Engineers, Technicians/Mechanics and operators to support the daily running and management of the centre.
Stakeholders dialogue
MOFA, DPs, Financial Institutions, Mechanisation Services Providers, Farmer Representatives and District Assembly will agree on charges for services rendered

16. Project Organization and Management
Supervision
MOFA will play supervisory role to ensure that the machinery are applied effectively
Monitoring
MOFA shall institute effective monitoring procedures to ensure that best practices are adopted during the operation phase
Training
MOFA shall continue to offer initial and periodic and regular training in care handling and operation techniques to ensure extended operational lives of machinery and equipment
General Operations
Private companies / District /Municipal Assemblies will man the centres

17. Monitoring and Evaluation
An M&E framework will be developed to track the progress/performance of the centres based on indicators every quarter.

18. Risks
Lack of other factors such as improved seeds, rainfall, good agricultural practices, etc could lead to low production hence low earning for farmers to afford mechanisation services.
Inadequate and lack of machinery to stock the centres
High cost of borrowing

19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION