1. Workshop outline
&
Project update
Sander Zwart
Sawah, Market Access and Rice Technologies for Inland Valleys (SMART-IV)
Mid-term project workshop, June 21-23, 2012
Cotonou, Benin

2. Dr Youssouf Dembélé
30.6.1952 – 24.4.2012
SMART-IV mid-term project meeting May 21-23

3. Workshop agenda (1/4)
Monday May 21 – morning
Opening of the workshop
Project update
Monday May 22 – afternoon
Development activities in Benin
Development activities in Togo
Mid-term evaluation
Discussion on the way forward
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

4. Workshop agenda (2/4)
Tuesday May 22
Field visits to the development and research sites in:
• Ouinhi
• Ayize
• Bamé
Departure from hotels at 8.00am
Check with Carine Kan for transport schedule from
station/home
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

5. Workshop outline (3/4)
Wednesday May 23 – morning
Research updates on:
• Water management
• Soil fertility
• Remote Sensing & GIS
• Economics and impact
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

6. Workshop agenda (4/4)
Wednesday May 23 (continued)
Two parallel sessions:
1. Discussion sessions on:
• Water management research – coordination of activities
• Development – coordination and planning of activities
2. Parallel ‘one-to-one’ discussion sessions with Japanese
delegation
Closure of the workshop.
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

7. SMART-IV - review process
Review process developed by MAFF:
April: internal project review commissioned by MAFF
May: mid-term workshop + discussion with MAFF
July: overall project plan, including WP, OP, EO, EC, will be
reviewed and developed, in accordance with the result
of midterm evaluation.
Mid-August: project plan will be developed and be submitted
to MAFF
September: funding procedure, official demand, budget, etc.
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

8. SMART-IV - review process
• Internal review conducted by Dr Moro Buri from Soil
Research Institute in Kumasi, Ghana
• Dr Buri has long experience with Sawah System
Development, collaboration with Japanese partners
(JICA, Prof Wakatsuki)
• Dr Buri visited AfricaRice and discussed with
scientists, collaborators and visited the research and
development sites
• Internal review document presented to MAFF on April 17
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

9. SMART-IV - review process
Some of the major findings:
• Research has made considerable progress but not
everywhere.
• New research should be on on-farm experiments, site-
specific options needs to be explored and focus on soil
fertility improvement with locally available and affordable
materials
• Development activities are far behind on schedule and must
be pushed in order to research the expected outputs (EO) of
the project.
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

10. SMART-IV - review process
Some of the recommendations (regarding development):
• Move as soon as possible into the field (before the start of
the rainy season
• Care-taker development officer(s) need to be engaged to
lead the execution and supervision of field operations
• Organization (group formation) and sensitizations of rice
farmers
• Land tenancy arrangements by farmers
• New powertillers are required soon
• Deeper involvement of extension staff in field activities
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

11. SMART-IV - review process
Immediate actions taken:
1.Dr Worou Soklou (Togo) hired as consultant to work fulltime
on Sawah System Development. Target: 20 ha by end of
August.
2.New powertillers will be ordered in June.
3.Better balance between research and development.
Researcher water management will no longer be recruited for
SMART-IV project and two research assistants or consultants
will be recruited to assist in development.
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

12. SMART-IV Project - budget
Total annual budgets:
Year 1: 621 k$
Year 2: 661 k$
Year 3: 635 k$
Year 4: 600 k$ (confirmed, economic crisis + Tsunami)
Year 5: t.b.d.
New contracts (IWMI, CBF, ITRA) will be prepared in July with
slightly lower budgets.
Mission to Liberia and Sierra Leone, 29 Nov – 7 Dec

13. SMART-IV - capacity building
Capacity building - PhD student (financed by SMART-IV)
Alexandre Danvi
University of Bonn – Geography Institute
Prof. Diekkrüger / Dr. Simone Giertz
Strong experience in Benin and hydrological modeling through
IMPETUS project
Topic: sawah system interactions and effect of agricultural
intensification on water quantity and water quality
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

14. SMART-IV - capacity building
Capacity building - PhD students
WASCAL project from Germany: focuses on hydrology, land
use and climate. Sets up 5 research schools in West-Africa:
• Hydrology & Climate change (Benin, Uni Abomey-Calavi)
• Land Use & Climate Change (Ghana, KNUST)
Maurice Ahouansou (Benin) & Maléki Badjana (Togo)
Hydrological modeling of water availability for rice-based
systems in inland valleys under climate change
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

15. SMART-IV - capacity building
Capacity building - MSc students
Maurice Mondegnon, Benin, University of Parakou (water
management, sawah) – Finishes June 2012
Andre Kindjinou, Benin, University of Abomey-Calavi (inland
valley mapping, agricultural intensity) – January 2012
Bjorn Nikolaus, Germany, University of Kiel (hydrological
modeling) – March 2012
Gertrude Tognite, Benin, University of Rennes (soil
fertility, sawah) – March 2012
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

16. SMART-IV - capacity building
Capacity building – field technicians
Successful Sawah System Development training held in
Kumasi for ten field technicians who will develop sawah in and
demonstration sites in Benin and Togo.
(November/December 2011 – Abe, Dembélé & Wakatsuki)
Capacity building – farmers
On the job training of Sawah System Development:
7 farmers in Ouinhi, several in Bamé, more in other sites
SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17