This presentation was made by Dr. Moses Siambi, ICRISAT ESA Regional and Research Program Director. It highlights achievements made by the drought tolerant crops value chain under the AVCD Program. The conference took place on 26 and 27 April at the ILRI Nairobi campus. For more information, please write to Dr. Siambi on m.siambi@cgiar.org

1. Drought Tolerant Crops Value Chain
ICRISAT, Egerton University, KALRO, Farm Africa, County Governments
April 26-27, 2018

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE AVCD PROJECT
• Improved Agricultural enabling environment
• Expanded Markets and Trade
• Improved Productivity of selected Value Chains
• Improved Nutrition-related behaviors

3. ALIGNMENT TO OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS
• Objective 1: Supporting farmers to produce nutrient dense cereals
and legumes
• Objective 2: Productivity and profitability under variable climatic
conditions improved
• Objective 3: Post-harvest handling practices improved
• Objective 4: Gender integrated and nutrition-based household
utilization
• Objective 5: Farmer linkages to markets developed and sustained

4. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
Partnerships:
 Egerton University – Elgeyo Marakwet – Production and Nutrition; Overall
Nutrition backstopping
 KALRO Alupe – Nutrition lead - Busia and Siaya
 KALRO Katumani – Data Management; provision of Certified Seed
 Farm Africa – Aggregators – Product aggregation and Marketing
 Nairobi Technical Training Institute and Makerere University, Uganda – New
products Development
 County Governments – Agric Extension, Health and Education

5. IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL
Six Counties – selected Sub-Counties – 48 Wards
- Elgeyo Marakwet – Soy South and Marakwet West (two dropped due to
insecurity)
- Kitui – Kitui west, Mwingi west, Kitui south
- Tharaka Nithi – Igambang’ombe, Tharaka South
- Makueni – Makueni, Mbooni
- Busia – Teso South, Matayos,
- Siaya – Gem, Ugenya

6. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
 Productivity – Seed, Good Agronomic
Practices, Post-harvest handling
 Nutrition – Dietary Diversity, Behaviour
Change Communication
 Linking Farmers to Grain Markets and
Processors

7. INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY

8. SEED PRODUCTION

10. SEED AVAILABILITY WITHIN COMMUNITIES

12. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
Pearl Millet Finger millet Pigeonpea Green Gram Sorghum Groundnuts
Grain Quantity in metric tons
2016 2017

13. TRAINING MANUALS
(POST-HARVEST HANDLING, LABOUR-SAVING EQUIPMENT, PEST CONTROL)

14. LINKING FARMERS TO MARKETS

16. IMPROVED WAREHOUSING FACILITIES

17. August 2017-March 2018
County crop Quantity (MT) Value (KES)
Busia Sorghum (Red) 7.23 216,900
Siaya Sorghum (Red) 24.8 744,000
EMC Sorghum (Red) 20 600,000
EMC Sorghum (white) 26.8 804,000
EMC Ground nuts 520 36,160,000
Kitui Green gram 24 1,800,000
Tharaka Nithi Sorghum (White) 2000 64,000,000
Total 2622.8 104,329,900
($1,043,299)

18. INFLUENCING NUTRITION-RELATED BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

21. APPROACHES FOR CREATING NUTRITION AWARENESS
Creating correct messaging is important
Surveys
Focused group Discussions
Online using Key Influencers
Photovoice
Working with County structures – MoH, MoE, MoA

22. 6.34
4.08
2.88 2.75 2.94
7.55
4.71
5.17
3.93
5.12
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Household (HDDS) Women of
reproductive age
(WDDS)
Children Dietary
score (<2yrs)
Children not
Breastfeeding
(<2yrs)
Breastfeeding
children (<2yrs)
Baseline (2016) Annual (2017)
DIETARY DIVERSITY
Baseline conducted in 2016 and Midline in 2017 – positive increase in DDS

23. DTCs Household Utilization: Photovoice
More diverse products of DTCs consumed in intervention area than unreached area

24. IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
Introduced in-shell buying of Groundnuts – Elgeyo Marakwet
Stimulated increased acreage – reduced labour requirement, improved quality
Labour-saving devices introuced in Tharaka Nithi, Siaya and Busia
Established collaborative approaches for nutrition awareness and behaviour change
communication
Innovation – New food products

25. INVESTMENTS BY COUNTY GOVERNMENTS
County governments have invested in establishment of aggregation centers
and Seed Warehouses:
_____________________________________________________________
 Siaya – Two aggregation centers constructed at a cost of 3 m each at Ukwala and
Lingigo
 Makueni – One community Seed Warehouse and Aggregation Center constructed at a
cost of 2 m
 EMC - a Warehouse for Groundnuts constructed and Irrigation facilities expanded (DTCs
integrated in CIDP)
 DTCs identified as priority Value Chains in Makueni, Kitui and Tharaka-Nithi:
 For example - Kitui County distributed 70t of Greengram seed in Short Rainy season in 2017

26. IMPROVED WAREHOUSING FACILITIES

27. LESSONS LEARNT
 PARTNERSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT FOR ACHIEVING IMPACT
 MARKET PULL IS CRITICAL FOR INTRODUCTION OF NEW CROPS OR INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY
 WORK WITH PRIVATE SECTOR TO STIMULATE SURPLUS PRODUCTION
 AVAILABILITY OF CREDIT IS REQUIRED AT ALL LEVELS OF THE VALUE CHAIN
 TO INFLUENCE NUTRITION BEHAVIOUR CHANGE WELL THOUGHT STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION
ARRANGEMENTS ARE REQUIRED
 FARMERS MAKE PRUDENT DECIONS IF PROVIDED WITH CORRECT INFORMATION
 SCIENTISTS MUST LEARN THE ART OF INFLUENCING POLICY DECISONS

28. THE “TIPPING POINT” -INVESTMENTS BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR