Institutional strengthening has been identified by the Government as a primary means of achieving its three objectives for development of the agricultural sector:

• increase aggregate food output to keep up with population growth;
• expand crop production and foreign exchange earnings; and
• increase farmers’ incomes.
  

Planned

Achieved

To provide management training and strengthen extension services to support rural groups.

To train project agents.

To purchase vehicles and equipment, and build project offices and a training centre.

207 rural groups were created, 49 of which were composed of women; 169 groups already existed. Training sessions were organized for farmers (2 052 person days in total). Study tours for farmers’ groups to neighbouring countries were also organized.

After the mid-term review, extension and training services were provided to beneficiaries by 60 counsellors.

Equipment and vehicles were purchased; project offices and training facilities were completed.

Access to credit has always been a constraint for smallholder farmers wanting to improve productivity. The only means of obtaining credit for livestock and agricultural activities was through the Caisse National de Crédit Agricole (CNCA). Credit was not tailored to small farmers’ needs, however, because collateral such as regular income or durable goods was required.

Planned

Achieved

To provide medium-term credit to finance farm investments, including building materials and complementary foundation stock of up to 30 breeding females and 2 males to reduce the flock-building period.

To provide short-term credit to finance supplementary feed and health treatment in the first 18 months.

To provide animal health and production inputs under ACCAP.

During the first four years, it was not possible to identify a local financial structure to manage microcredit activities. Medium- and short-term credit components were therefore suspended after the mid-term evaluation and replaced by ACCAP.

Under the ACCAP initiative, microprojects such as fencing and improvement of animal sheds were undertaken, especially by women.

There is considerable untapped grazing potential in Togo, though availability varies among regions depending on the density of human and animal populations. In the Savannah region, where livestock density is the highest, the small ruminant population could be doubled. It could be quadrupled in Kara, increased ten-fold in the Plateaux, fifteen-fold in the Maritime region and twenty-fold in the central region.

To carry out research activities to:

examine complementary feeding possibilities, including establishment of fodder-tree plots, cultivated fallow and alley cropping.

Develop integrated goat production systems using supplementary feeding and low-cost fencing.

Research was carried out into integrated agro-forestry/livestock production systems and utilization of fodder trees and live fencing to improve livestock husbandry and nutrition in traditional systems, and utilization of by-products for the nutrition of animals, particularly pigs.

Low productivity and poor husbandry and animal health are the major problems limiting production of small ruminants in Togo. Sheep are Djallonke breed; goats are Guinean Dwarf breed. Significant improvements in terms of size and conformation of local breeds by selection were demonstrated at the Kolokopé research station under the PNPR and PROPEKA projects.

To provide specialist technical advice and credit for improved sheep development; and to promote the improved sheep-farming model developed under the PNPR and PROPEKA projects.

To provide regular livestock husbandry advice on hygiene and feeding, with an emphasis on supplementary rations for the rainy season.

To carry out research on improvement of Djallonke sheep and Guinean goats through genetic selection and importation of breeding materials at the breeding centre in Kolokopé, and on development of small-animal production systems. Poultry and swine production were added after the mid-term review.

Establishment of improved sheep farms was abandoned at the mid-term review.

The livestock husbandry and breeding technology package was successfully developed.

Approximately 70 scientific papers were published. A goat herd was established at Kolokopé. Production performance of selected Djallonke rams and sheep was excellent; auctions were organized to distribute animals to farmers. Genetic selection of sheep was implemented in collaboration with 20 sheep producers; 400 improved rams breeding with some 20 000 ewes carried a genetic improvement of 15% in live-weight. Sales of improved rams generated income and contributed to increases in mutton production.

The main health hazards are small ruminants pest (SRP), pneumonia-type diseases, pasteurellosis and internal and external parasites. SRP is endemic throughout the country and affects sheep and goats. Mortality rates for small ruminants are about 35-40%, reaching 50-60% in young animals. These high levels are the result of bad health conditions and poor traditional husbandry practices.

To implement a national annual health campaign, to be carried out by the livestock service, to vaccinate small ruminants against SRP and treat internal parasites.

To vaccinate poultry against Newcastle disease (added after the mid-term review).

To establish village pharmacies for veterinary products.

To train village animal health assistants.

To purchase veterinary equipment and strengthen extension services to assist livestock farmers in using medicines and feeding complements.

To reduce animal mortality rates:

(i) from 16% to 14% for adult sheep and goats;
(ii) from 50% to 38% for lambs; and
(iii) from 66% to 40% for kids.

Vaccination campaigns carried out by the livestock service achieved poor results. From 1993, the vaccination campaign against SRP was coordinated by the project and carried out by private veterinarians, government agents and village animal health assistants. In 1996, 270 000 vaccinations were carried out.

Vaccination against Newcastle disease was carried out by animal health assistants in association with private vets. In 1996, about 600 000 vaccinations were carried out in 669 villages, with cost recovery of 100%. Reduced mortality resulting from vaccination allowed increased production of poultry meat, with benefits for food security and income generation.

225 village pharmacies were established. Village animal health assistants administered veterinary products, supervised by village committees.

906 village animal health assistants were trained, of whom 600 were operational at project evaluation.

The project was effective in helping control the outbreak of African swine fever on the border with Benin.