Rural Economic Transformation (1/5)
Sub-component B-1: Support
for Agricultural, Livestock and Forest Development
Sub-componenent B-2 : Rural
Enterprise Development
Sub-component B-3 : Rural
Financial Services
The second component, representing approximately
USD 13.5 million of Programme investment, comprises three
sub-components: (i) Production/Market Support for Agricultural,
Livestock and Forestry Development (ii) Rural Enterprise
Development, and (iii) Rural Financial Services.
The objective of the component is to increase
the return to households from farming, livestock and forest
management activities and on and off-farm enterprises, through
systems appropriated to the agro-climatic conditions of Umutara..
Sub-component B-1: Support for Agricultural,
Livestock and Forest Development (USD 8.88 million)
Output. Environmentally sustainable,
market-oriented farming, livestock rearing and forest management,
reflecting comparative advantages in different areas of the
province, which results in higher and more reliable family
incomes.
Policy Orientation, Guiding Principles.
A number of principles have guided the redesign of the Programme
component, previously called ‘On-farm Development Support’.
These principles are based on government’s policy framework
and orientation with the Economic Strategy to Fight Rural
Poverty as the main point of reference. The design also reflects
government’s concern for environmental sustainability in a
province where the current population pressures are not currently
high but in which the population is increasing rapidly. The
opening statement in the Economic Strategy regarding agricultural
development aptly sums up its intent: ‘Higher incomes from
a more commercialised, small-scale agricultural economy will
transform the rural economy…’ The principles that form the
basis for the redefinition of the Programme component and
that provide the thread through the new Programme approach
to the sector are:
· Focus on association/group development
to create necessary ‘critical mass’ of trained and capacitated
community-based organizations to allow farmers and livestock
owners to better access technical and financial services on
cost-effective terms, to be able to better compete in the
market place through reduced marketing costs and leveraging
more attractive terms of trade, and to better be able to participate
in development planning and resource allocation affecting
their communities.
· Adoption of a more market-oriented,
commercial approach to farming/livestock rearing – and
to the provision of technical services – that starts with
what can be profitably grown/raised and marketed and
reflects the comparative advantage of certain agricultural
activities over others, depending on physical access, natural
resources and determining externalities.
· Whenever applicable, utilization of commodity
chain analysis to allow for more effective targeting of
technical and financial support in response to identified
constraints and opportunities along the chain, from production
to the ultimate consumer; by definition this involves not
only of the producers but also the traders/market intermediaries.
Sub-component Description.
The initiatives described below build on
these principles and do so within the framework of the existing
institutional set-up and within the current set of constraints.
They are not intended to provide a full set of answers to
all agricultural problems in the province but rather focus
on ensuring that the farmers, at the end of the day, have
more money in their pockets and to do so in a sustainable
context. In response, the sub-component comprises four elements:
(i) market-oriented technical support services, (ii) support
for group enterprises and market-based initiatives, (iii) livestock
production and commercialisation and (iv) forest management.
Each is discussed below in terms of the approach used, the
nature of the Programme support and the associated investment
costs.
Market-Oriented Technical Support Services.
The output for this activity would be: cost effective and
responsive extension service based on farmers own resources/capacities
and on market opportunities. This activity combines extension,
demonstration and client-responsive adaptive research and
builds on the experience gained during the first phase under
the sub-component formerly known as ‘Technology Advisory Services’.
The principles applied then are relevant now and are in line
with the national policy document referred to above. They
focus on the development of an extension service with minimal
government involvement (there are from 1 to 3 agricultural
offices in each district), that will be mostly based on farmers’
own resources, capacity and opportunities, through the creation
of representative farmer’s bodies at the lowest organized
socio-administrative unit to become the recipient of training
for organisational and technical empowerment and the medium
to extend technical messages and advice related to constraints
identified through PRAs and commodity chain analysis.
This will be facilitated through the deepening
of the partnership between ISAR/DALF and the Programme with
the two organizations building on the experience gained in
the first phase but with greater demonstrated accountable
– both to the Programme and the communities – for performance
and impact of the activities undertaken on behalf of the Programme.
The partnership will have the objective of identifying appropriate
technologies and practices and packaging of technical information
into extension tools and the training of farmers groups/associations
to transmit messages and advice. ISAR and DALF will essentially
operate as specialized service providers for which the Programme
will provide sufficient means and technical capacity to respond
to challenges identified by the community-based organizations
through PRAs.
A total of some 80 extension groups will
be formed, one in each sector, with about 20 to 30 members
in each group. The members will be selected by their communities,
based on their farming skills and capacity, in such a way
that all groups are represented and that there is a gender
and age group balance. To help ensure that women’s particular
concerns are met, women’s extension sub-groups will also be
formed around a specific theme of their choice. Using these
sector groups as the focal point, the Programme will focus
on: (i) commodity chain analysis, (ii) demonstrations
of improved technologies, with emphasis on adaptive field
trials, that respond to farmer constraints and priorities
– focusing on production and post-harvest aspects that are
responsive to problems identified in the PRAs and market opportunities
(iii) organisational and technical empowerment of the farming
community though training and exposure; (iv) follow-up
PRAs and performance evaluation workshops to assess achievements,
identify emerging constraints and plan the search for solutions;
and (iv) strengthening the capacity DALF and ISAR to
provide services to the community.
The following activities will be undertaken:
· Commodity chain analysis. Studies
of the most important crops in each district, including production
and marketing constraints and opportunities that could be
promoted through the sub-component. These include studies
may include bananas, beans, cassava, groundnuts, maize, sorghum,
sweet potatoes and rice in the specific context of Umutara.
The implementation of the study will preferably be carried
out under a dual coordination and supervision of an international
NGO and ISAR. The programme will avoid funding studies on
crops for which commodity chains analysis studies have already
been completed by others public or private institutions.
· Demonstrations of improved technologies.
The programme will provide resources to ISAR and DALF
to cover the cost of demonstration sites identification and
selection, procurement of inputs including light tools, mineral
and organic manure, and quality seed of high yielding varieties.
Costs related to land preparation and crop establishment would
also be covered. A minimum of two demonstration sites will
be established in each sector.
· Farmer group-to-farmer group visits,
field days and networking. Where possible and justified,
the programme will fund the organisation of field days, farmers-to-farmers
visit and study tours, including information campaigns on
the sites and dates, transportation costs of small groups
of farmers and community leaders to the demonstration sites
and related costs to facilitate such undertaking. Funding
will be provided for the training of farmer groups’ representatives
on selected themes. As much as possible such training should
includes farmers of the same or adjacent sectors to minimise
transportation and upkeep costs.
· Joint farmer/extension worker national
and regional study tours. The programme will provided
limited resources to allow such visits and tours for small
groups of farmer’s representatives when it is proved that
the targeted themes can not be found in the province or in
the neighbouring province. Such funding will not cover international
travelling for district and programme staffs.
· Bi-annual review workshop.
To address the slow rate of technology adoption and impact
manifestation, a two-day workshop will be organized every
two years in each district. Participation to such workshops
will be limited to participating community-based organizations
and farmer’s group representatives.
· Training of community development committees
(CDCs). This activity will emphasize the improvement
of DDC capacity and skill to monitor, assess and evaluate
agriculture, livestock production and forestry programme funded
activities. The empowerment of these committees has two objectives:
to create mechanisms to introduce the culture of accountability
among district extension officers; and, in conjunction with
a contracted NGOs, to evaluate achievements in the area of
the distribution of inputs to vulnerable households (VHHs),
placement of bulls in breeding centres, support to the fodder
crops improvement in farmers fields and quantitative and qualitative
assessment of district forests planted with funding from the
programme.
· Strengthening the capacity of extension
staff. Extension staff are limited in number and have
varying levels of knowledge. In order to bring them up to
a common level and to develop their ability to work in more
participatory ways within the context of the decentralized
approach with its emphasis on farmer group/association formation
and district-community partnerships, the Programme will finance
the training of extension staff in the proven technologies
and group dynamic approaches using experts from ISAR, MINAGRI,
NGOs, and other programme resources.
· Material support to DALF. Support
to the DALF will include the construction of offices, furniture
and equipments as well as working means (vehicles, motorcycles,
fuel, computer, photocopiers, etc.) in the four districts
covered by the twin project. During the second phase, the
Programme will meet the operational and maintenance costs
of equipments provided during the first phase; no new vehicles
or equipment are foreseen for the initial four districts during
the second phase.
· Material support to ISAR. Support
to ISAR including the rehabilitation of the provincial station
at Nyagatare will cover cost for construction/rehabilitation,
equipment, staff training, and recruitment of technical support
staff to assist in field, laboratory and data collection tasks.
Furthermore, sufficient resources will be provided to cover
cost of adaptive trials in farmer’s fields. The programme
will also provide minimum conditions to promote the linkage
between research and extension by funding the attachment of
a DALF staff to the ISAR provincial team.
· Collaboration and Partnership with
iarC. With the expansion of the programme in the second
phase and the need to reinforce research capacity in the province,
the Programme will increase this allocation to allow the formulation
of a long-term research capacity building proposal, including
the identification of needs (human resources, infrastructures,
equipments, research programme, etc.). The resources provided
from the Programme budget will act as seed money to complement
funds to be provided to the province from CIAT.. The PCU
and ISAR will work out the details of such support with the
CIAT representative in Rwanda. To facilitate this an international
TA, under the CIAT supervision, will be recruited to conduct
research need assessment, capacity building requirements,
and other facilities and equipments required to strengthen
the ISAR provincial station. The main output of this technical
assistance will be a comprehensive proposal that will serve
as basis for funding mobilisation from CIAT, the Programme
and possibly other interested donors for a three years research
programme to address bio-physical and socio-economic constraints
in the province.
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