Third SATNET intraregional visit for smallholder value chain actors commences in Nepal 

The third in the series of SATNET Intraregional Visits for Smallholder Value Chain Actors is being organized in Nepal in partnership with International Development Enterprises (iDE) Nepal from 18-23 August, 2014. This visit is focused on South Asia with a thematic emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), climate resilient agriculture, and post-harvest issues which are of strong relevance to the region. Eighteen participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan are taking part in the visit, representing progressive farmers, village community leaders and NGO extension workers. 

On 19 Aug, the participants travelled from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa in South Nepal which is close to a cluster of iDE’s project sites including the European Union-funded Agriculture and Nutrition Extension Project (ANEP). A welcome and briefing session was held wherein the participants were provided with an overview of the SATNET project and the objectives of this visit, as well as a background of iDE Nepal and its projects. 

Solar power water pump

The first site visit was to Madhuri Village Development Committee (VDC) in Rupandehi district where the participants participated in a village community meeting. The community has organized itself into a farmer cooperative with a majority of women members, and has become a model for IPM. In fact, the village has now gone completely organic and is free from application of chemical pesticides. Bio-fertilizers such as Trichoderma (a beneficial fungi) are also used. There is now growing interest amongst traders to buy organic produce from the village. The visitors observed technologies such as a solar power water pump (a climate change adaptation technology for water scarce areas being piloted by iDE) and Xylum pump (with foot pedals for pumping water and particularly suitable for hilly areas). 

Participants interacting with local community on IPM

The participants also visited Pathkhauli and Siktahan VDCs where they observed how farmers have increased their income and nutritional intake for themselves as well as their communities through fish nurseries/aquaculture (practiced both in small water tanks as well as in large ponds). They also saw dyke vegetable farming techniques where farmers are utilizing raised bunds along the edges of fish ponds for organic cultivation of vegetables.

Aquaponic and vegetable production

Finally, at Chhipagadh VDC, the visitors were provided with a demonstration of an Axial Flow Pump which utilizes power from a common tractor to irrigate large areas (70-80 hectares) and represents a technology which can be adopted collectively at the community level, or even be provided on an hourly-charge basis through Local Service Providers. At the same site, they observed aquaponics technology where a caged area in a pond is used for rearing fish which are released into the larger pond upon maturity. Moreover, a bamboo frame structure extending from the edges of the pond over the water provides additional space for cultivating vegetables (particularly creeper varieties).  

The day was marked with enthusiastic interaction between the visitors and the local communities. Apart from learning from the sites they visited, the visitors also shared their own experiences and suggestions for improvement with the communities, making this an exciting two-way learning and enrichment process! 

Second SATNET intraregional visit concludes in Cambodia

Annadya presentation

On the fourth and final day of the SATNET intraregional visit for smallholder value chain actors in Cambodia, participants gathered in Phnom Penh for a half-day wrap up session to review the outcomes of the visit. Representatives from two other projects supported by the European Union as part of its ‘Technology Transfer for Food Security in Asia’ programme also utilized this opportunity to present about their work as well as share the results and learning. The first was the ‘Annadya’ project being implemented by Université Libre de Bruxelles, CEDAC, and other partners to promote appropriate technologies for smallholders to increase food security among ethnic minorities in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Of particular interest to the participants was the discussion on cricket farming as a means of increasing food security, which was complemented with a small demo of the equipment and process involved. The second project was the Food Technology Project of the French Red Cross that is enabling access to secure water, secure food and nutrition to communities in two provinces in Cambodia and Lao PDR. 

During the session, the participants provided feedback to the organizers on the visit. A number of them conveyed that they were inspired by the technologies and impactful work they had seen, particularly in relation to organic farming, mobilization of rural saving groups, and creation of producer cooperatives for profitable marketing of agricultural products. They reaffirmed their intension to utilize and disseminate the learning upon returning to their home countries, and thanked the organizers for providing them a valuable opportunity. 

Participants with their certificates

The visit concluded with distribution of certificates of participation to the group by the Executive Director of CEDAC.    

SATNET intraregional visit participants visit progressive farmers and marketing facilities

Meeting with organic vegetable
producer group

On the third day of the SATNET intraregional visit for smallholder value chain actors in Cambodia, the participants visited a progressive lady farmer in Kampong Chnang province who started organic farming in 2007 due to ill health resulting from exposure to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. During an in-depth interaction with the visitors, she shared what kind of practices she applies on her farm, and how she has successfully established an organic vegetable producers group (comprising mostly of women). By switching to organic farming, with the produce sold to CEDAC’s Agri-Product Shops, she has been able to increase her income significantly and has achieved better health. She also shared her learning on how organic farmers can maximize the yield on their farms by utilizing liquid fertilizer made from cow urine, having a planting schedule, and selecting high quality seeds.

At CEDAC's marketing outlet

The participants also visited a warehouse and Nature Agri-Product Shop of CEDAC in Phnom Penh which markets organic produce supplied by farmers. This shop which runs on a cooperative model provides a very useful marketing channel to the farmers and helps them realize prices for their produce which are 20 – 30% higher than the usual market rates. Over recent times, the demand for organic produce sold through these shops has outstripped supply, giving a boost to organic farming.       

Participants of the intraregional visit in Cambodia gain knowledge from organic farmers and farmer cooperative members

Visit to progressive farmer, Takeo province

The second day of the SATNET Intraregional Visit for Smallholder Value Chain Actors in Cambodia comprised of visits from Phnom Penh to various farmer locations in the neighbouring Takeo province. At the first site visited, a progressive farmer is implementing organic farming and sustainable practices with support from CEDAC. The group saw integrated and multipurpose farming techniques including System of Rice Intensification (SRI), fruit and vegetable cultivation, aquaculture (which also enriches nutrients in water for irrigation) and poultry rearing. A number of innovative ways to cope with irrigation water scarcity in times of climate change and practising safe pest control were demonstrated. 

Demo of innovative and safe method for pest control

The group then visited a woman farmer who has recently won an award for obtaining high yield of rice (7.3 tons per hectare) and profit from practising SRI. She shared tips from her own experience for maximizing the yield such as rotation between rice and vegetable crops, ideal time for transplanting saplings, effective water management, and use of compost made from cow dung. The visitors also saw demonstration plots showing a comparison between the performance of SRI and conventional rice cultivation techniques.  

Visiting a rice mill cooperative

Apart from the above, during the day, the visitors were exposed to farmer savings groups supported by CEDAC which are playing an important role in promoting financial self-reliance in rural areas. A number of such groups have established farmer cooperatives which are bringing tangible benefits to their members such as establishing warehouses and rice milling units in order to corner a greater share of profits, enabling greater bargaining power vis-a-vis buyers to help realize better prices, and generally allowing farmers greater control over the value chain. The visitors enjoyed the opportunity for interaction with such stakeholders to learn from their experience.