1. CRF GRANT
Review & Planning
Workshop, Benin
Stemming Aflatoxin pre- and post-harvest waste in the groundnut value
chain (GnVC) in Malawi and Zambia
to improve food and nutrition security in the smallholder farming families.

2. Aflatoxin Challenge for Smallholders
• Food security of smallholders
- Maize and Groundnuts major part of rural diet.
• Health of smallholders
- Farm productivity
• Trade
- Local and international regulations
-Restricted market access
The challenge is that the groundnuts from smallholder farmers are prone to Aflatoxin contamination. The
contamination can occur any time from pre-harvest to post-harvest and has enormous health and
economic consequence.

3. ForumforAgriculturalResearchinAfricaForumforAgriculturalResearchinAfrica
Buyer
Farmer level
Seed
System
Field Harvesting Drying
Transporting
(Field to
Homestead)
Storage
(In shell)
ShellingInitial
Handling
Storage
Transportation
Buying
Centres
Transportation
(Centre to
Warehouse)
warehousing
Transportation
from Warehouse

4. THE PROJECT BRIEF
Hypothesis:
Investing in pre- and post-harvest loss research, technical advice
and policy advocacy to reduce food losses could significantly increase the food
and nutrition security.
Project Objectives:
1)To assess, validate and further develop promising pre and post harvest
technologies
2)To document and disseminate the preventive technologies, and have farmer
capacities are built
3)To advocate for conducive national and regional policies and regulatory
frameworks for stemming Aflatoxin

5. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION SITE
AND BENEFICIARIES
 Zambia: 403 farmers (181 females)
 Malawi: 1,525 farmers (985 females)

6. 2014-2015 PLANNED ACTIVITIES
 Inception Workshop
 Consortium Agreements
 Work plan development
 Farmer mobilization and organization
 Developing research activities
 Farmer Training
 Baseline Data Collection
 Coordination and communication

7. PROGRESS TO-DATE
o Inception workshop held
o Consortium Agreements
concluded
o Work plan developed
o Research priorities agreed
upon.. Research matrix
o Farmer mobilization and
training
Inception workshop
1) Evaluation of the effect of residue incorporation on
pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination (2014/2015 season)
2) Evaluation of effect of number of rows per ridge 2014/15 season
3) Evaluation of effect of tie/box ridging and of number of rows
per ridge 2015/2016 season
4)Evaluation of Mandela cork 2014/2015 season
5)Evaluation of kennel sizing and Hand sorting on partitioning
aflatoxin into various shelled groundnut grade sizes
Areas of Research

8. PROGRESS TO-DATE CONT’
• Farmer sensitization and
awareness conducted
• Farmer training done through:
• demos
• Field days
• farmer to farmer
• Radio programmes
aired
• Training publication in
form of leaflets
produced and
disseminated
Field day on
double row
planting
Mandela
Cock

9. OUTSTANDING ACTIVITIES
 Baseline data collection… data collection tools have been developed
and data collection will commence first week of July
 Finalization of project brochure and launching of website

10. CHALLENGES Agriculture seasonality challenge
 Delayed project start meant missing some critical seasonal activities
 Leading to refocusing on research areas for 2014/2015
 Project coordination
 Communication in terms of response time and feedback
 New partnership, team forming and norming challenges
 Cross-project components and intra project components challenges
 Staff changes
 Different approaches
 Project financing
 Limited budget affecting the level of involvement

11. LESSONS LEARNT
 Institutionalization of the project/ Buy-in
 Intensifying communication via emails, skypes
 Though connectivity and response times remains a
challenges
 Focus on project team consolidation/building
 Need for regular project reviews
 Cultivating linkages with other stakeholders
 ICRISAT in Malawi
 National Agricultural Universities

12. .
The End!