Status of Conservation Agriculture Task Force/Platform in Zimbabwe ca task force

1. REGIONAL CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE DIALOGUE MEETING ,
SEPTEMBER 25-28 2019, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
Lungowe Sepo Marongwe

2.  CA Network formed around 2004/2005 to coordinate
NGOs funded through FAO
 Initially hosted and chaired by FAO
 Government hosted network- CAPNET
 Later CA Taskforce and CAPNET were merged and
co-chaired by Government and FAO
 Members included CGIAR centres, Tertiary
Institutions, NGOs , CSOs with support accessed
through FAO
 Coordination was enabled by common funding
 A few institutions did exist with other funding
sources and operated outside task force

3.  Due to funding challenges CATF was converted to a TRUST
2016-2017 to give it legal status
 Registered in 2017 with Trustees comprised Government,
Farmer Unions, Private Sector, CGIAR, Tertiary Institutions
 Structured into-advisory body, secretariat, technical
thematic committees
 Activation of trust is still pending…..

4.  Weed management was a major challenge-of herbicides
 Equipment supply-sprayers, rippers, direct seeding
equipment
 Engagement limited by low demand and high cost
 Contract farming
 High cost of investment into new manufacturing lines
without guaranteed production volumes a challenge

5. 0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Total number Number supported

6. 0.00
1000.00
2000.00
3000.00
4000.00
5000.00
6000.00
7000.00
8000.00
9000.00
HH_NOT_Practising
_CA

7. i
Mutasa
2019
Makonde 2019
Buhera

8. Farmers’ practice Demo

9.  New players sending conflicting messages
 Carbon green- Farmers using rip lines but
donor promoting planting basins with input
support
 SHD
 SAFIRE
 NFN
 FACE

10.  Farmers continue to use manual CA practices
on small areas
 Potential to increase area - merging interest in
use of small machinery but limited access to
finance continues to be a challenge
 Need for engagement of new partnerships- e,g
energy sector, business sector to increase buy-
in
 Need for active awareness to define CA within
CSA

11.  CA continues to be relevant- platforms are
necessary for knowledge sharing and learning
 Should be based on willingness and not
dependent on donor funds
 Network members should see benefit from
membership- complementarity & strategic
partnerships, learning & sharing, capacity
 Important to have extension policies that guide
various players who interact with farming
communities