MADE's learning experience on how it used the Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum to enhance smallholder enterprise knowledge of their businesses
The document summarizes AFORD's work on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in Tanzanian schools. It discusses AFORD's formation and focus on MHM, the significance and challenges of MHM in Tanzania, AFORD's MHM undertakings including partnering with private sector to provide affordable pads and educating schools, and next steps to expand the pilot program with support from international NGOs and make it economically sustainable.
This document provides an annual report on the Agri-Fin Mobile program from 2013-2014. It highlights activities in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia. In Zimbabwe, the EcoFarmer service was launched in October 2013 to provide smallholder farmers with weather-indexed insurance, agricultural information, and financial services. Over 240,000 smallholder farmers had registered on the platform by June 2014. In Indonesia, the program partnered with various organizations to provide 8,000 farmers with the LISA mobile agriculture information application and financial services through partnerships with banks and microfinance institutions. Key activities included trainings, conferences, research papers, and partnership meetings. The annexes provide additional details on work plans, strategies, and meetings.
The quarterly report for October - December 2016 contains data and analysis on impact of PIND’s programs in economic development, capacity building, peace building, and analysis and advocacy over the period. It also contains narratives of the quarter’s success stories from beneficiaries across different programs, as well as insights and lessons learned by program and project officers on their work.
This document provides an overview of a toolkit for developing entrepreneurship skills among natural resource-dependent communities. It contains four stages: 1) preparing facilitators, 2) building community capacity for gathering and analyzing information, 3) selecting enterprise options and analyzing value chains, and 4) developing enterprise management and leadership skills. The overall goal is to equip communities with the abilities to start and sustain their own natural product enterprises. The toolkit contains methods, tools, case studies and examples to guide facilitators in strengthening entrepreneurship at the community level. It aims to enhance livelihoods in a sustainable manner by creating economic incentives for conservation.
The newsletter provides updates on the Innovations in Ecosystem Management and Conservation (IEMaC) project in India. It discusses how integrated approaches have benefited rural communities through improved fodder management and increased access to forest resources for women. It highlights pilot demonstrations of innovative fodder production techniques, a nursery established to grow fodder, and capacity building for women's self-help groups. It also summarizes engagement with local stakeholders, assessment activities to establish a baseline of the project landscape, and community meetings to promote sustainable forest management and market linkages.
The document summarizes the proceedings of a regional workshop held in Dakar, Senegal from November 8-11, 2010. The workshop, organized by IFAD and the Government of Senegal, brought together 276 participants including project staff, government representatives, farmers' organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and IFAD staff. The main objectives were to improve project implementation performance, discuss promoting growth through value chains, and review progress on objectives set in the Accra Agenda for Action. Key discussions focused on the importance of value chains for smallholder farmers and the need for projects to strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Participants agreed on the importance of value chains and recommended IFAD support farmer organizations to benefit from market opportunities
Dti r1 Programs and Services for Cooperativesjo bitonio
The document provides information on programs and services in Region 1 to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It discusses the 7Ms framework for uplifting MSMEs focusing on mindset, mentoring, mastery, markets, money, machines, and models of business. Specific programs highlighted include the Kapatid Mentor Micro Enterprise program, Pondo para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso facility, livelihood programs, shared service facilities, and support for agrarian reform cooperatives. The document also notes that 9 of the 11 accredited consumer organizations in Region 1 are cooperatives.
The document summarizes AFORD's work on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in Tanzanian schools. It discusses AFORD's formation and focus on MHM, the significance and challenges of MHM in Tanzania, AFORD's MHM undertakings including partnering with private sector to provide affordable pads and educating schools, and next steps to expand the pilot program with support from international NGOs and make it economically sustainable.
This document provides an annual report on the Agri-Fin Mobile program from 2013-2014. It highlights activities in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia. In Zimbabwe, the EcoFarmer service was launched in October 2013 to provide smallholder farmers with weather-indexed insurance, agricultural information, and financial services. Over 240,000 smallholder farmers had registered on the platform by June 2014. In Indonesia, the program partnered with various organizations to provide 8,000 farmers with the LISA mobile agriculture information application and financial services through partnerships with banks and microfinance institutions. Key activities included trainings, conferences, research papers, and partnership meetings. The annexes provide additional details on work plans, strategies, and meetings.
The quarterly report for October - December 2016 contains data and analysis on impact of PIND’s programs in economic development, capacity building, peace building, and analysis and advocacy over the period. It also contains narratives of the quarter’s success stories from beneficiaries across different programs, as well as insights and lessons learned by program and project officers on their work.
This document provides an overview of a toolkit for developing entrepreneurship skills among natural resource-dependent communities. It contains four stages: 1) preparing facilitators, 2) building community capacity for gathering and analyzing information, 3) selecting enterprise options and analyzing value chains, and 4) developing enterprise management and leadership skills. The overall goal is to equip communities with the abilities to start and sustain their own natural product enterprises. The toolkit contains methods, tools, case studies and examples to guide facilitators in strengthening entrepreneurship at the community level. It aims to enhance livelihoods in a sustainable manner by creating economic incentives for conservation.
The newsletter provides updates on the Innovations in Ecosystem Management and Conservation (IEMaC) project in India. It discusses how integrated approaches have benefited rural communities through improved fodder management and increased access to forest resources for women. It highlights pilot demonstrations of innovative fodder production techniques, a nursery established to grow fodder, and capacity building for women's self-help groups. It also summarizes engagement with local stakeholders, assessment activities to establish a baseline of the project landscape, and community meetings to promote sustainable forest management and market linkages.
The document summarizes the proceedings of a regional workshop held in Dakar, Senegal from November 8-11, 2010. The workshop, organized by IFAD and the Government of Senegal, brought together 276 participants including project staff, government representatives, farmers' organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and IFAD staff. The main objectives were to improve project implementation performance, discuss promoting growth through value chains, and review progress on objectives set in the Accra Agenda for Action. Key discussions focused on the importance of value chains for smallholder farmers and the need for projects to strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Participants agreed on the importance of value chains and recommended IFAD support farmer organizations to benefit from market opportunities
Dti r1 Programs and Services for Cooperativesjo bitonio
The document provides information on programs and services in Region 1 to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It discusses the 7Ms framework for uplifting MSMEs focusing on mindset, mentoring, mastery, markets, money, machines, and models of business. Specific programs highlighted include the Kapatid Mentor Micro Enterprise program, Pondo para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso facility, livelihood programs, shared service facilities, and support for agrarian reform cooperatives. The document also notes that 9 of the 11 accredited consumer organizations in Region 1 are cooperatives.
Ms. Carmen Nurse, President of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers, discussed the organization's mission, vision, and objectives in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture and improving rural livelihoods across the Caribbean region. She outlined critical demands from women farmers related to agriculture, environmental sustainability, and social safety nets. Major challenges in advocating for policies and reforms at national and regional levels include limited knowledge of rights, lack of political will, no union representation, and low female representation in governments. Greater support is needed from civil society organizations, political representatives, and UN Women to overcome these challenges.
Agrarian reform program under president joseph ejercito estradaF Mad
This administration saw the urgency of land distribution to farmers and believed it was best achieved by building farmers' capacities. It focused on hectares distributed, beneficiaries, and crops. It launched land occupations working with farmers, local governments, and security forces. Support services took an entrepreneurial approach to help farmers achieve economic viability. It forged international agreements on agrarian reform and advocated for the department in development planning domestically and abroad. However, fiscal constraints caused delays in payments to landowners, and conflicts arose within and between farmer groups over negotiations with investors.
The document discusses the MADE Fisheries Value Chain Intervention program in Nigeria. It aims to improve incomes for 150,000 poor people through market-led solutions in the fisheries sector. The intervention provides training to improve fish farming and smoking techniques. Over 3 years, it has trained service providers who have reached out to 32 lead farmers and conducted 48 pond demonstrations. The program has also trained fabricators of improved smoking kilns and facilitated the provision of 36 kilns to entrepreneurs. It actively promotes women's participation and agency in the fisheries sector.
During the reporting period, The Foundation supported VCCI to deliver 26 business Disaster Risk Management (DRM) coursesto more than 820 people from 539 businesses in nine provinces in the Central region: Binh Dinh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Nghe An, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, and Quang Tri provinces. Among these were, four cost-shared coursesheld for businesses in Da Nang (2 courses), Nha Trang and Khanh Hoa (2 courses). VCCI also conducted one training workshop on DRM for business associations and local government in the Mekong Delta region (Can Tho Province) with 104 participantsfrom 45 businesses.The Foundation also worked closely with VCCI to organize one business DRM training course for 60 people from 11 business members of 8 business associations in Can Tho Province.
Project Development and Assistance Unit Accomplishment Report CY 2018jo bitonio
The Cooperative Project Development and Assistance Section is reporting on its accomplishments from January to December 2018. Despite limited resources, they were able to achieve deliverables through collaboration with partners. Key accomplishments include:
- Providing handholding support to 72 micro and small cooperatives.
- Launching the KOOP KAPATID program in March 2018 to pair big and small cooperatives, establishing 5 partnerships.
- Implementing the COOP-SEED program with DTI, providing training to two cooperatives and assisting them in securing required reports and certifications.
- Partnering with other government agencies such as DAR, DSWD, DA, and LGUs to support cooperatives through various programs
Summary of the Aquaculture Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Training for Improved Private Sector and Smallholder Skills Project in Zambia (AQ TEVET) project
How ic ts can make a difference to livelihoods av3 no effectsOxfam GB
This document discusses how ICTs can be integrated into Oxfam's livelihood programs. It outlines key principles for success, including considering ICTs as enablers and embedding them in existing processes. It describes a 4-step process for integrating ICTs: 1) understand information and financial services ICTs can provide farmers, 2) identify activities where ICTs could be used, 3) analyze the ICT landscape and offerings in target countries, and 4) compare opportunities to existing offerings to identify synergies. The document also discusses gender approaches to ICT integration and using ICTs for research and influencing on topics like sustainable agriculture.
The document summarizes an event where ATI-Caraga conducted the first blended e-learning course and hands-on training on artificial insemination in pigs. 83 e-learners who completed the online course participated in a two-day hands-on training. Experts demonstrated procedures like semen collection and artificial insemination. Participants said combining the online course with hands-on training enhanced their learning. This was the first time ATI conducted a blended course combining an e-learning component with hands-on training.
Here are the key points I gathered from our discussion:
- Agricultural extension plays an important role in technology transfer from research stations to farmers. It aims to improve farming practices and link farmers to markets.
- Effective extension requires building trust and respect with farmers. Workers should learn from farmers' existing knowledge and focus on sustainable practices.
- Extension work involves not just technical skills but also interpersonal skills like moderating, encouraging participation, and making farmers feel respected and dignified.
- The goal is to mesh new innovations with indigenous knowledge to make real impact on livelihoods. Regular skills development ensures extension continues meeting farmers' changing needs.
- For this training, I hope to gain new skills and approaches to better
The document summarizes a regional workshop held in Kampala, Uganda from December 9-12, 2019 to share experiences on sustainable agricultural mechanization hire service practices in Sub-Saharan Africa. The workshop was convened by the African Conservation Tillage Network and attended by over 60 delegates from governments, the private sector, and development organizations. The workshop aimed to support the implementation of the Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa framework, which presents 10 priority elements for national sustainable agricultural mechanization strategies, including boosting farm power, financing mechanisms, facilitating tooling systems, focusing on value chains, fuel innovation, transforming farmer practices, social sustainability, human resource development, long-term visions, and regional cooperation institutions.
NABARD formulated Rs. 4,180 crore credit plans for Jammu and Kashmir to boost agriculture. The document discusses agricultural extension, defining it as transferring knowledge and technology from laboratories to farmers. It highlights demand-driven extension that provides services meeting farmer needs. Future extension aspects include evolving extension systems, web-enabled dissemination, and promoting agriculture as a profitable venture. Technology is bridging the gap between research and farmers by establishing teaching organizations.
This document provides information on Leon Tomesen, including his nationality, education, areas of expertise, country experience, and summary of relevant experience. Tomesen has over 25 years of experience designing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems for private sector and market development projects. He has led over 30 evaluations and reviews and has extensive experience working with bilateral and multilateral development partners on projects focused on small and medium enterprise development across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Green Impact: Scaling up Palm Oil Production in the Niger DeltaKomolafe Adeshola
The last several months have witnessed tremendous progress in the palm oil intervention sector with the continuous promotion of improved processing and harvesting technologies such as the Small-Scale Processing Equipment (SSPE), Mechanical Adjustable Harvester (MAH) and the Malaysian Knife (MK). As part of the access to finance
Green Impact: Scaling up Palm Oil Production in the Niger Delta MADE
T he last several months has witnessed tremendous Tprogress in the palm oil intervention sector with the continuous promotion of improved processing and harvesting technologies such as the Small-Scale Processing Equipment (SSPE), Mechanical Adjustable Harvester (MAH) and theMalaysianKnife(MK). As part of the access to finance interventions in the palm oil value chain, MADE is scaling up the Technology Adoption Grant (TAG) to enable farmers/millers to raise funds to procure improved equipment for their oil palm farming, harvesting and processing.
This document provides background information on a workshop to discuss supporting youth ICT-based entrepreneurship and innovations in agriculture. The workshop aims to achieve goals in CTA's youth strategy, including enhancing youth engagement in agriculture through ICT. It will discuss case studies of youth initiatives using ICT in agriculture and identify strategies to promote youth ICT innovations and entrepreneurship. The document outlines the objectives, expected results, and participants of the workshop. It also provides examples of initiatives in areas like ICT software for agriculture, organizations supporting innovations, and enhancing youth agricultural businesses with ICT. Challenges faced by some initiatives are also noted.
Sasakawa-Africa Association/ Global 2000 SG 2000 Agricultural Program in Afri...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
The Sasakawa-Africa Association (SAA) works to improve food security and increase prosperity for smallholder farmers in Africa. SAA's vision is a food-secure rural Africa with prospering smallholder commercial farmers. Its mission is to transform African agricultural extension services to address food security and provide economic benefits to smallholder farmers through agricultural value chains. SAA operates in 15 African countries and has 60 professional staff working on programs focused on improving crop productivity, post-harvest processing, public-private partnerships, human resource development, and monitoring and evaluation. SAA receives funding from private foundations, national governments, development organizations, and the private sector.
This report describes the IFAD National Domestic Biogas Program which has introduced and disseminated domestic biogas in Rwanda since 2007.
[ Originally posted on http://www.cop-ppld.net/cop_knowledge_base ]
Market-oriented Agri-Technology and Agri-Extension Services for Agrarian Refo...IJAEMSJORNAL
Market-oriented agri-technology and agri-extension services (AES) was conceptualized after need/design assessment. It is a component of DAR-ARCESS particularly harnessing Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) to become skilled and equip with business knowledge align to the enterprise they have engaged in. Generally, this AES aims to provide trainings/technology transfer/coaching along the commodity/areas on value chain strategy for the Agrarian Reform Communities in Isabela. Specifically, it aimed to: 1) strengthen farm efficiencies and productivity of rice and corn farmers; 2) enhance rice and corn farmers’ knowledge on postharvest; 3) improve value-adding activities of rice and corn farmers; 4) enrich rice and corn farmers’ knowledge on Common Service Facilities operations and maintenance; and 5) establish pool of technical experts. There were five lead ARBOs who participated in this project classified into rice and corn based agri-enterprises. Various extension modalities were adopted to attain project objectives. Activities were highlighted by two season long training programs on rice and corn as venue for technology lectures and demonstrations. The project outcomes are: a) 39 corn and 93 rice farmers trained field technicians; b) two field exposures (Lakbay-Aral) for rice and corn to private and public agencies outside the region; c) conducted seminar-workshop on sustainability planning; and d) developed training manuals, modules, technoguide and IEC materials for both crops. Farmers have attained greater knowledge, developed their farming skills and more confident in doing farming business. They have improved relationships, becoming closer and open minded individuals. The lead ARBOs farm-technicians must do their share to disseminate what they have learned to other farmers constituent ARBOs. The DARPO must provide assistance to them for program development, financial and other logistics for the conduct of field extension services. The DAR must follow – up and conduct periodic evaluation to lead ARBOs for the implementation of sustainability plan.
1) The document discusses a case study of an intervention in Nigeria that introduced improved Noiler chicken breeds to increase incomes and nutrition for smallholder farmers, particularly women. Noiler birds are a hybrid breed that are hardier than exotic breeds but provide higher yields than local breeds.
2) The intervention supported the establishment of "Mother Units" that bred Noiler chicks and sold them to smallholder farmers. This improved access to the improved breeds. Farmers reported higher profits from Noiler chickens compared to other breeds.
3) While the intervention benefited women, cultural norms still give men more control over finances and decision making. The intervention helped increase women's incomes but did not fully address underlying gender inequalities. Expand
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Similar to Use of diagnostic tools to enhance enterprise understanding of problems and stimulate sustainable adoption of commercially driven solutions
Ms. Carmen Nurse, President of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers, discussed the organization's mission, vision, and objectives in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture and improving rural livelihoods across the Caribbean region. She outlined critical demands from women farmers related to agriculture, environmental sustainability, and social safety nets. Major challenges in advocating for policies and reforms at national and regional levels include limited knowledge of rights, lack of political will, no union representation, and low female representation in governments. Greater support is needed from civil society organizations, political representatives, and UN Women to overcome these challenges.
Agrarian reform program under president joseph ejercito estradaF Mad
This administration saw the urgency of land distribution to farmers and believed it was best achieved by building farmers' capacities. It focused on hectares distributed, beneficiaries, and crops. It launched land occupations working with farmers, local governments, and security forces. Support services took an entrepreneurial approach to help farmers achieve economic viability. It forged international agreements on agrarian reform and advocated for the department in development planning domestically and abroad. However, fiscal constraints caused delays in payments to landowners, and conflicts arose within and between farmer groups over negotiations with investors.
The document discusses the MADE Fisheries Value Chain Intervention program in Nigeria. It aims to improve incomes for 150,000 poor people through market-led solutions in the fisheries sector. The intervention provides training to improve fish farming and smoking techniques. Over 3 years, it has trained service providers who have reached out to 32 lead farmers and conducted 48 pond demonstrations. The program has also trained fabricators of improved smoking kilns and facilitated the provision of 36 kilns to entrepreneurs. It actively promotes women's participation and agency in the fisheries sector.
During the reporting period, The Foundation supported VCCI to deliver 26 business Disaster Risk Management (DRM) coursesto more than 820 people from 539 businesses in nine provinces in the Central region: Binh Dinh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Nghe An, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, and Quang Tri provinces. Among these were, four cost-shared coursesheld for businesses in Da Nang (2 courses), Nha Trang and Khanh Hoa (2 courses). VCCI also conducted one training workshop on DRM for business associations and local government in the Mekong Delta region (Can Tho Province) with 104 participantsfrom 45 businesses.The Foundation also worked closely with VCCI to organize one business DRM training course for 60 people from 11 business members of 8 business associations in Can Tho Province.
Project Development and Assistance Unit Accomplishment Report CY 2018jo bitonio
The Cooperative Project Development and Assistance Section is reporting on its accomplishments from January to December 2018. Despite limited resources, they were able to achieve deliverables through collaboration with partners. Key accomplishments include:
- Providing handholding support to 72 micro and small cooperatives.
- Launching the KOOP KAPATID program in March 2018 to pair big and small cooperatives, establishing 5 partnerships.
- Implementing the COOP-SEED program with DTI, providing training to two cooperatives and assisting them in securing required reports and certifications.
- Partnering with other government agencies such as DAR, DSWD, DA, and LGUs to support cooperatives through various programs
Summary of the Aquaculture Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Training for Improved Private Sector and Smallholder Skills Project in Zambia (AQ TEVET) project
How ic ts can make a difference to livelihoods av3 no effectsOxfam GB
This document discusses how ICTs can be integrated into Oxfam's livelihood programs. It outlines key principles for success, including considering ICTs as enablers and embedding them in existing processes. It describes a 4-step process for integrating ICTs: 1) understand information and financial services ICTs can provide farmers, 2) identify activities where ICTs could be used, 3) analyze the ICT landscape and offerings in target countries, and 4) compare opportunities to existing offerings to identify synergies. The document also discusses gender approaches to ICT integration and using ICTs for research and influencing on topics like sustainable agriculture.
The document summarizes an event where ATI-Caraga conducted the first blended e-learning course and hands-on training on artificial insemination in pigs. 83 e-learners who completed the online course participated in a two-day hands-on training. Experts demonstrated procedures like semen collection and artificial insemination. Participants said combining the online course with hands-on training enhanced their learning. This was the first time ATI conducted a blended course combining an e-learning component with hands-on training.
Here are the key points I gathered from our discussion:
- Agricultural extension plays an important role in technology transfer from research stations to farmers. It aims to improve farming practices and link farmers to markets.
- Effective extension requires building trust and respect with farmers. Workers should learn from farmers' existing knowledge and focus on sustainable practices.
- Extension work involves not just technical skills but also interpersonal skills like moderating, encouraging participation, and making farmers feel respected and dignified.
- The goal is to mesh new innovations with indigenous knowledge to make real impact on livelihoods. Regular skills development ensures extension continues meeting farmers' changing needs.
- For this training, I hope to gain new skills and approaches to better
The document summarizes a regional workshop held in Kampala, Uganda from December 9-12, 2019 to share experiences on sustainable agricultural mechanization hire service practices in Sub-Saharan Africa. The workshop was convened by the African Conservation Tillage Network and attended by over 60 delegates from governments, the private sector, and development organizations. The workshop aimed to support the implementation of the Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa framework, which presents 10 priority elements for national sustainable agricultural mechanization strategies, including boosting farm power, financing mechanisms, facilitating tooling systems, focusing on value chains, fuel innovation, transforming farmer practices, social sustainability, human resource development, long-term visions, and regional cooperation institutions.
NABARD formulated Rs. 4,180 crore credit plans for Jammu and Kashmir to boost agriculture. The document discusses agricultural extension, defining it as transferring knowledge and technology from laboratories to farmers. It highlights demand-driven extension that provides services meeting farmer needs. Future extension aspects include evolving extension systems, web-enabled dissemination, and promoting agriculture as a profitable venture. Technology is bridging the gap between research and farmers by establishing teaching organizations.
This document provides information on Leon Tomesen, including his nationality, education, areas of expertise, country experience, and summary of relevant experience. Tomesen has over 25 years of experience designing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems for private sector and market development projects. He has led over 30 evaluations and reviews and has extensive experience working with bilateral and multilateral development partners on projects focused on small and medium enterprise development across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Green Impact: Scaling up Palm Oil Production in the Niger DeltaKomolafe Adeshola
The last several months have witnessed tremendous progress in the palm oil intervention sector with the continuous promotion of improved processing and harvesting technologies such as the Small-Scale Processing Equipment (SSPE), Mechanical Adjustable Harvester (MAH) and the Malaysian Knife (MK). As part of the access to finance
Green Impact: Scaling up Palm Oil Production in the Niger Delta MADE
T he last several months has witnessed tremendous Tprogress in the palm oil intervention sector with the continuous promotion of improved processing and harvesting technologies such as the Small-Scale Processing Equipment (SSPE), Mechanical Adjustable Harvester (MAH) and theMalaysianKnife(MK). As part of the access to finance interventions in the palm oil value chain, MADE is scaling up the Technology Adoption Grant (TAG) to enable farmers/millers to raise funds to procure improved equipment for their oil palm farming, harvesting and processing.
This document provides background information on a workshop to discuss supporting youth ICT-based entrepreneurship and innovations in agriculture. The workshop aims to achieve goals in CTA's youth strategy, including enhancing youth engagement in agriculture through ICT. It will discuss case studies of youth initiatives using ICT in agriculture and identify strategies to promote youth ICT innovations and entrepreneurship. The document outlines the objectives, expected results, and participants of the workshop. It also provides examples of initiatives in areas like ICT software for agriculture, organizations supporting innovations, and enhancing youth agricultural businesses with ICT. Challenges faced by some initiatives are also noted.
Sasakawa-Africa Association/ Global 2000 SG 2000 Agricultural Program in Afri...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
The Sasakawa-Africa Association (SAA) works to improve food security and increase prosperity for smallholder farmers in Africa. SAA's vision is a food-secure rural Africa with prospering smallholder commercial farmers. Its mission is to transform African agricultural extension services to address food security and provide economic benefits to smallholder farmers through agricultural value chains. SAA operates in 15 African countries and has 60 professional staff working on programs focused on improving crop productivity, post-harvest processing, public-private partnerships, human resource development, and monitoring and evaluation. SAA receives funding from private foundations, national governments, development organizations, and the private sector.
This report describes the IFAD National Domestic Biogas Program which has introduced and disseminated domestic biogas in Rwanda since 2007.
[ Originally posted on http://www.cop-ppld.net/cop_knowledge_base ]
Market-oriented Agri-Technology and Agri-Extension Services for Agrarian Refo...IJAEMSJORNAL
Market-oriented agri-technology and agri-extension services (AES) was conceptualized after need/design assessment. It is a component of DAR-ARCESS particularly harnessing Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) to become skilled and equip with business knowledge align to the enterprise they have engaged in. Generally, this AES aims to provide trainings/technology transfer/coaching along the commodity/areas on value chain strategy for the Agrarian Reform Communities in Isabela. Specifically, it aimed to: 1) strengthen farm efficiencies and productivity of rice and corn farmers; 2) enhance rice and corn farmers’ knowledge on postharvest; 3) improve value-adding activities of rice and corn farmers; 4) enrich rice and corn farmers’ knowledge on Common Service Facilities operations and maintenance; and 5) establish pool of technical experts. There were five lead ARBOs who participated in this project classified into rice and corn based agri-enterprises. Various extension modalities were adopted to attain project objectives. Activities were highlighted by two season long training programs on rice and corn as venue for technology lectures and demonstrations. The project outcomes are: a) 39 corn and 93 rice farmers trained field technicians; b) two field exposures (Lakbay-Aral) for rice and corn to private and public agencies outside the region; c) conducted seminar-workshop on sustainability planning; and d) developed training manuals, modules, technoguide and IEC materials for both crops. Farmers have attained greater knowledge, developed their farming skills and more confident in doing farming business. They have improved relationships, becoming closer and open minded individuals. The lead ARBOs farm-technicians must do their share to disseminate what they have learned to other farmers constituent ARBOs. The DARPO must provide assistance to them for program development, financial and other logistics for the conduct of field extension services. The DAR must follow – up and conduct periodic evaluation to lead ARBOs for the implementation of sustainability plan.
Similar to Use of diagnostic tools to enhance enterprise understanding of problems and stimulate sustainable adoption of commercially driven solutions (20)
1) The document discusses a case study of an intervention in Nigeria that introduced improved Noiler chicken breeds to increase incomes and nutrition for smallholder farmers, particularly women. Noiler birds are a hybrid breed that are hardier than exotic breeds but provide higher yields than local breeds.
2) The intervention supported the establishment of "Mother Units" that bred Noiler chicks and sold them to smallholder farmers. This improved access to the improved breeds. Farmers reported higher profits from Noiler chickens compared to other breeds.
3) While the intervention benefited women, cultural norms still give men more control over finances and decision making. The intervention helped increase women's incomes but did not fully address underlying gender inequalities. Expand
1. The document summarizes a case study on women's participation in the palm oil value chain in Mbarakom Community, Cross River State, Nigeria. Women predominantly work as processors who purchase palm fruits and process them into palm oil, facing barriers like unequal land ownership.
2. An intervention by MADE Nigeria aimed to improve women processors' access to improved processing technologies to increase palm oil yields and quality. This included support for a woman entrepreneur who invested in small-scale processing equipment and offered services to other women processors.
3. The intervention helped increase women processors' incomes by producing more palm oil per quantity of fruits processed. However, challenges around access to financing remain an issue limiting women's ability to
The Gender Talk Group (GTG) is a program launched by MADE Nigeria to address socio-cultural constraints limiting women's participation in economic opportunities. The GTG brings together women and men farmers/entrepreneurs to discuss these issues and find solutions. Interviews with participants found that the GTG has helped empower women by providing a platform to build skills and networks, navigate barriers like limited access to resources, and gain influence over decisions. While challenges remain like access to land and inputs, women reported increased incomes, knowledge, and ability to start their own businesses from participation. The flexible discussion-based model was seen as an effective way to sustainably improve women's economic conditions.
The document summarizes MADE's intervention to improve market access for women pineapple farmers in Ehor Community, Edo State, Nigeria. MADE facilitated a linkage between the farmers and Hills Harvest, an agribusiness company. Hills Harvest provided training to the women on post-harvest handling and began purchasing over 500 tons of pineapples from them. This improved market access benefited the women by reducing transportation costs, increasing sales, and reducing market losses and spoilage. However, Hills Harvest did not always purchase regularly or specify minimum quantities, which sometimes led to product waste or lower prices from other buyers. The document concludes by recommending that MADE help identify more reliable off-takers and facilitate access to financing to help expand the women
MADE is a market development program in Nigeria's Niger Delta region that aims to increase incomes for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs. The program achieved the following results:
- Over 150,000 farmers and entrepreneurs increased their incomes by over 15%, representing close to an additional £18 million in earnings.
- Over 230,000 farmers and entrepreneurs adopted improved farming or business practices, with around 80% of them recording higher yields or productivity.
- Over 249,000 farmers and entrepreneurs gained access to new or improved inputs, products, services and technologies.
- 25 lead firms invested in innovations piloted by MADE, exceeding the target of 22 firms.
Thrive Agric is a Nigerian agriculture technology startup that introduces innovative financing approaches for smallholder farmers, such as crowdfunding. The company partnered with MADE II to provide asset financing to 10 beekeeping farmers in Edo State, enabling each to purchase and set up 10 beehives. Thrive Agric invested a total of N2 million to scale this pilot and support 40 additional beekeepers. The profit-sharing model allows farmers to keep 60% of honey profits while Thrive Agric retains 25% to share with investors. The intervention proved apiculture can be lucrative, increased investor base, and attracted additional carpenters and businesses to the honey sector.
Success story of how a Master Village Seed Entrepreneur (MVSE) is driving growth in the cassava seed multiplication and improved seedling intervention by MADE
The document summarizes lessons learned from implementing a results measurement strategy that integrated geographical information systems (GIS) in an agricultural project in conflict areas of Nigeria. Key lessons included: 1) timely delivery of data requires cost-effective surveys like mobile data collection to inform decisions and accountability; 2) using evidence to continuously adapt strategies ensures achieving objectives; and 3) GIS integration significantly enhances functionality by enabling analysis of program impact and footprints by location.
This document summarizes the results of MADE II Programme's use of technology adoption grants (TAGs) to stimulate market demand among smallholder farmers and processors in Nigeria. Some key points:
- TAGs were provided to encourage adoption of new processing and harvesting technologies. This helped address market failures around capacity and information gaps.
- The grants successfully stimulated early adoption and awareness of benefits. Independent sales of technologies grew even after grants ended, showing a sustainable market was created.
- Critical success factors included understanding the problem, identifying suitable technologies, demonstrating value, carefully targeting subsidies, and knowledge sharing to promote broader adoption.
- Over five years, the program achieved its goal of creating more dynamic markets, demonstrated
Using inclusive models to implement demand driven skills developmentMADE
MADE shares its lessons experience on how it implemented a demand-driven skills development intervention for potential victims of human trafficking in Edo
Tools for increasing gender and social inclusion in market systems led progra...MADE
The document summarizes the gender mainstreaming and women's economic empowerment strategies of the Market Development Programme (MADE) in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. It discusses how MADE introduced gender mainstreaming after initial implementation to make its market systems interventions more inclusive. A key focus was addressing the underrepresentation of women in value chains, unequal access to resources, and socio-cultural influences. Through partnerships, trainings, and strategies like the Gender Talk Guide, MADE worked to increase women's participation, access to capital/markets, and challenge norms. After 5 years, evaluations found the approach helped more women benefit from the program, demonstrating the viability of market-driven women's empowerment initiatives in the context.
Many companies have perceived CRM that accompanied by numerous
uncoordinated initiatives as a technological solution for problems in
individual areas. However, CRM should be considered as a strategy when
a company decides to implement it due to its humanitarian, technological
and process-related effects (Mendoza et al., 2007, p. 913). CRM is
evolving today as it should be seen as a strategy for maintaining a longterm relationship with customers.
A CRM business strategy includes the internet with the marketing,
sales, operations, customer services, human resources, R&D, finance, and
information technology departments to achieve the company’s purpose and
maximize the profitability of customer interactions (Chen and Popovich,
2003, p. 673).
After Corona Virus Disease-2019/Covid-19 (Coronavirus) first
appeared in Wuhan, China towards the end of 2019, its effects began to
be felt clearly all over the world. If the Coronavirus crisis is not managed
properly in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer
(B2C) sectors, it can have serious negative consequences. In this crisis,
companies can typically face significant losses in their sales performance,
existing customers and customer satisfaction, interruptions in operations
and accordingly bankruptcy
Neal Elbaum Shares Top 5 Trends Shaping the Logistics Industry in 2024Neal Elbaum
In the ever-evolving world of logistics, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Industry expert Neal Elbaum highlights the top five trends shaping the logistics industry in 2024, offering valuable insights into the future of supply chain management.
Mentoring - A journey of growth & developmentAlex Clapson
If you're looking to embark on a journey of growth & development, Mentoring could
offer excellent way forward for you. It's an opportunity to engage in a profound
learning experience that extends beyond immediate solutions to foster long-term
growth & transformation.
Corporate innovation with Startups made simple with Pitchworks VC StudioGokul Rangarajan
In this write up we will talk about why corporates need to innovate, why most of them of failing and need to startups and corporate start collaborating with each other for survival
At the end of the conversation the CIO asked us 3 questions which sparked us to write this blog.
1 Do my organisation need innovation ?
2 Even if I need Innovation why are so many other corporates of our size fail in innovation ?
3 How can I test it in most cost effective way ?
First let's address the Elephant in the room, is Innovation optional ?
Relevance for customers
Building Business Reslience
competitive advantage
Corporate innovation is essential for businesses striving to remain relevant and competitive in today's rapidly evolving market. By continuously developing new products, services, and processes, companies can better meet the changing needs and preferences of their customers. For instance, Apple's regular release of new iPhone models keeps them at the forefront of consumer technology, while Amazon's introduction of Prime services has revolutionized online shopping convenience. Statistics show that innovative companies are 2.5 times more likely to have high-performance outcomes compared to their peers.
This proactive approach not only helps in retaining existing customers but also attracts new ones, ensuring sustained growth and market presence.
Furthermore, innovation fosters a culture of creativity and adaptability within organizations, enabling them to quickly respond to emerging trends and disruptions. In essence, corporate innovation is the driving force that keeps companies aligned with customer expectations, ultimately leading to long-term success and relevance.
Business Resilience
Building business resilience is paramount for companies looking to thrive amidst uncertainties and disruptions. Corporate innovation plays a crucial role in fostering this resilience by enabling businesses to adapt, evolve, and maintain continuity during challenging times. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies that swiftly innovated their business models, such as shifting to remote work or expanding e-commerce capabilities, managed to survive and even thrive. According to a McKinsey report, organizations that prioritize innovation are 30% more likely to be high-growth companies. Innovation not only helps in developing new revenue streams but also in creating more efficient processes and resilient supply chains. This agility allows companies to quickly pivot in response to market changes, ensuring they can weather economic downturns, technological disruptions, and other unforeseen challenges. Therefore, corporate innovation is not just a strategy for growth but a vital component of building a robust and resilient business capable of sustaining long-term success.
m249-saw PMI To familiarize the soldier with the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon ...LinghuaKong2
M249 Saw marksman PMIThe Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), or 5.56mm M249 is an individually portable, gas operated, magazine or disintegrating metallic link-belt fed, light machine gun with fixed headspace and quick change barrel feature. The M249 engages point targets out to 800 meters, firing the improved NATO standard 5.56mm cartridge.The SAW forms the basis of firepower for the fire team. The gunner has the option of using 30-round M16 magazines or linked ammunition from pre-loaded 200-round plastic magazines. The gunner's basic load is 600 rounds of linked ammunition.The SAW was developed through an initially Army-led research and development effort and eventually a Joint NDO program in the late 1970s/early 1980s to restore sustained and accurate automatic weapons fire to the fire team and squad. When actually fielded in the mid-1980s, the SAW was issued as a one-for-one replacement for the designated "automatic rifle" (M16A1) in the Fire Team. In this regard, the SAW filled the void created by the retirement of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) during the 1950s because interim automatic weapons (e.g. M-14E2/M16A1) had failed as viable "base of fire" weapons.
Early in the SAW's fielding, the Army identified the need for a Product Improvement Program (PIP) to enhance the weapon. This effort resulted in a "PIP kit" which modifies the barrel, handguard, stock, pistol grip, buffer, and sights.
The M249 machine gun is an ideal complementary weapon system for the infantry squad platoon. It is light enough to be carried and operated by one man, and can be fired from the hip in an assault, even when loaded with a 200-round ammunition box. The barrel change facility ensures that it can continue to fire for long periods. The US Army has conducted strenuous trials on the M249 MG, showing that this weapon has a reliability factor that is well above that of most other small arms weapon systems. Today, the US Army and Marine Corps utilize the license-produced M249 SAW.
3. 3
Use of Diagnostic Tools to Enhance Enterprise Understanding of Problems and Stimulate
Sustainable Adoption of Commercially Driven Solutions: The Case of the Nigerian Agricultural
Enterprise Curriculum (NAEC)
After over four years of adapting the Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum (NAEC) for training of smallholder
farmers and entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta, MADE II Programme documented the experiences for wider
dissemination to stakeholders. A learning event was held in Asaba (Delta State) on 2nd April 2019 to validate and
consolidate the lessons. The learning event brought together government representatives, private sector service
providers, veterinary experts, similar donor programmes and local NGOs to share MADE’s and its implementing
partners’ experiences and knowledge generated from implementation of the NAEC. This paper provides a summary of
the programme’s experiences with using NAEC as a diagnostic and capacity enhancement tool for service providers
and smallholders. From MADE’s experience, NAEC is a resourceful tool that can be used to strengthen Nigeria’s
agribusiness sector and pave the way for poverty eradication.
Background to MADE II Programme
Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE), being funded by DFID, seeks to reduce poverty and conflict in the
Niger Delta region through developing rural agricultural markets and other sectors that impact poor people. The
programme has been addressing underlying systemic constraints that adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of
target beneficiary groups. These constraints, which limit productivity of smallholder farmers and processors relate
to technical and business skill gaps, access to improved technology and business linkages.
MADE I (September 2013 – February 2018) surpassed its target in achieving a 15% income increase for 150,000
people in the Niger Delta area across five value chains: Agricultural Input, Cassava, Palm Oil, Poultry and Fisheries.
Building on the success of MADE I, DFID approved a costed extension for additional two years (March 2018 –
February 2020) with additional target of 155,000 smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs experiencing increased
incomes. It is expected that 30,000 of those with increased incomes will be poor low-skilled youths and women
from Edo State that are susceptible to human trafficking. With respect to Edo State, the programme seeks to
promote alternative sources of income that can deter youth and women from attempting a risky migration that may
result in them becoming victims of human trafficking. The second phase of the programme is focusing on increasing
its impact on the four states with the greatest challenge to stability in the Niger Delta, namely Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers
and Akwa Ibom States as well as Edo.
Evolution of the Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum
Most farmers lack adequate skills to run their economic activities profitably. They are also unable to diagnose and
resolve problems preventing them from doing so. The Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum (AEC) was first promoted
by the DFID-funded PrOpCom and USAID-funded Maximizing Agricultural Revenue in Key Enterprises and Targeted
States (MARKETS). The NAEC was designed1 to address enterprise development capacity gaps by training
smallholder farmers to employ a commercial approach to farming activities rather than using traditional
subsistence farming practices.
NAEC is an interactive curriculum that empowers smallholder farmers to take a market-driven, commercial
approach to their farming activities. Rooted in experiential learning methodology, the curriculum uses simulations,
structured discussions, participatory exercises and peer-learning techniques and brings real-life experience and
opportunity to the training room. MADE has identified the Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum (NAEC) as
a key tool to help market players we target to learn better management practices that will help them achieve success
in their businesses.
NAEC training aims to enhance understanding and awareness of basic business concepts and market conditions
that affect profit and productivity. It also introduced practical methods and techniques for planning, income
projection, risk assessment, monitoring operating cost, debt management, savings and profit maximization, and
highlighted the importance of good financial management (including cash flow), record keeping and market
analysis. Finally, it provided participants with tools to formulate individual action plans to implement what they
learned.
1 Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum (AEC)
https://www.makingcents.com/agricultureenterprisecurriculum
4. 4
The original NAEC courses were developed primarily for cereals crops as this was piloted in the northern part of
the country. It was later adapted for agricultural retailers and aquaculture enterprises to address poor enterprise
performance among service providers and farmers. Training of Trainers were organized with a focus on
Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) as the main delivery agents. The first phase of both PropCom
and MARKETS sponsored the training of about 20,000 smallholder farmers, paying ADP staff to deliver the training.
Unfortunately, because it was sponsored training, most of the trainers stopped delivering it after the two projects
closed out and the tool became dormant.
In 2012, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) re-introduced the NAEC to address
business management skills in the Aquaculture Sector. They worked with MARKETS and Making Cents International
to modify the course, making it appropriate to aquaculture and then setting about designing a business model for
turning it into a profitable training product which would be affordably priced so that farmers could pay for it. With
these modifications in place, the first set of trainers were taught how to sell the product.
MADE worked with PIND to apply the NAEC in aquaculture and later mainstreamed some aspects of NAEC in its
service providers model to reach smallholder farmers. MADE’s initial adoption of the NAEC tool was to develop the
enterprise skills of its Aquaculture Service Providers. A first set of 12 Master Aquaculture Service Providers
(MASPs) received the NAEC training in 2014. Next, the MASPs developed a network of 36 knowledgeable
Aquaculture Service Providers (ASPs). MASPs and ASPs have been actively selling pond management training
(PMT), NAEC and other embedded aquaculture services in various locations across the Niger Delta. The fisheries
sector outreach from inception of MADE I in 2013 to end of March 2019 is close to 16,000.
Initially MADE provided cost-shared financial support to the master trainers that trained the first batch of farmers.
The training then incentivized other farmers to see the value of the course and then demand the training services
of the MASPs. It also gave farmers the opportunity to sell the training by word of mouth to other farmers.
Adaptation of NAEC in the Poultry Intervention
The curriculum is found to be very adaptive. Its experiential learning nature allows for adaptation to locally
appropriate practices, behaviours and value chains. NAEC trainees adopt and adapt lessons learned from these
activities and apply them to their farming businesses. The lessons learned can be implemented immediately upon
completion of the course - resulting in improved productivity and increased income.
"I learned about the Nigeria Agricultural
Enterprise Curriculum (NAEC) when a team of
MADE staff visited Akure. They took notice of my
interest in agribusinesses and selected me for
training. In 2016, I participated in a NAEC Train
the Trainer workshop organised by MADE. After
the training, I started stepping down the practice
as we were taught to do. We trained several
farmers; introduced them to a range of improved
knowledge using the NAEC and taught them better
ways of managing their farms. Each of these
interactive training ran for two days."
-Habeeb Abdulkadir, Ondo State
NAEC was basically like a master’s in business administration (MBA) course designed for farmers and service providers to help
them understand how to build and run their farms and services from a business-oriented perspective.
5. 5
Following success with application of NAEC in fisheries, MADE began adapting NAEC for poultry. MADE
collaborated with PIND2 in 2018 to facilitate a NAEC Train the Trainer exercise from February 28 to March 3. MADE
collaborated with MARKETS II and Making Cents to develop the NAEC for Poultry course in late 2016 and introduced
it in 2017. MADE and PIND, through a step-down approach trained 19 poultry service providers as NAEC trainers
for poultry and aquaculture, integrating NAEC as a core product in their commercial activities. The service
providers have benefitted from the curriculum and strengthened their enterprise skills; and they are expanding
their client base and offering NAEC training as part of the range of services they provide to farmers.
MADE’s flagship intervention in the poultry sector involved improving access to poultry health information and
products driven by veterinary pharmaceutical companies through the development of last mile retail channels
consisting of knowledgeable village level dealers (VLDs)and village level vaccinators (VLVs) that would ensure
accessibility and availability of poultry health information and products. However, attrition of the last mile retailers
was a significant challenge. In 2016, MADE wanted to introduce sustainable training services to reach poultry
farmers to help them to break the cycle of poverty by exposing them to proper business management practices, so
that they would be better developed to i) run their agricultural activities as viable businesses; ii) increase their
productivity and income, and iii) be able also to influence the market ensuring that they run their enterprises
profitably.
To further expand and strengthen the value proposition of the village level dealers, MADE supported the adaptation
of the NAEC to suit poultry enterprises. The poultry curriculum was a result of the collaborative effort (earlier
mentioned) of MADE and MARKETS II. Making Cents International was then contracted to offer technical support
and to produce the adapted curriculum.
A group comprising 29 business development service providers (BDSPs), representatives of veterinary
pharmaceutical companies, lead farmers, agro-dealers, community-based organisations, poultry associations and
project staff participated in the interactive “Train the trainer” workshop in 2016. In the first year, 15 NAEC trainers
provided NAEC training to 625 poultry farmers in eight local government areas across six states.
In November 2017, MADE programme organized a series of three ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops (identified as phase
II) on NAEC for Poultry. Seventy service providers (village level dealers) got trained in a set of three step-down
trainings. This increased the number of trained NAEC Poultry Service Providers to 100 who could provide the
training in a commercially profitable manner to smallholder farmers and increase their understanding and
awareness of basic business concepts and market conditions that affect profit and productivity. In a bid to further
scale up the provision of NAEC to poultry farmers, NAEC has also been integrated into the company led farmers’
engagements in local communities, reaching over 5,000 poultry farmers.
The knowledge gained from undergoing the NAEC training provided these service providers/VLDs and farmers the
required skills to grow their businesses and increase profitability and productivity. The NAEC training, which
provides enterprise knowledge and skills is believed to contribute toward reduction in the attrition rate of last mile
retailers – the operating village level dealers. The poultry and aquaculture trained service providers have benefitted
from the curriculum and strengthened their enterprise skills. They are now expanding their client base and offering
NAEC training as part of the range of services they provide to farmers in addition to vaccination services and poultry
products.
2
https://pindfoundation.org/training-of-trainers-workshop-for-farmers-in-the-niger-delta/
“In some cases, I offered modules for free to build farmers’ awareness of their problems and the value of the tool, so that they
can come asking for a full training which they will then pay for.” Habeeb Abdulkadir, AgriTech Global Consult
6. 6
Typical NAEC Training
A typical NAEC training takes the trainee through the complete business cycle of a value chain, while complementing
other agricultural training packages which may guide the recipients through the technical bits. For instance, fish
farmers take part in pond management training demo that covers the technical aspect of fish farming. The resource
person generally provides a well presented hands-on practical calendar and guide that illustrates the activities of
a typical farming season such that farmers can see the contribution quality decision making can make in their
agribusiness performance.
The trainees learn principles such as the benefits of planning early, when to get their inputs, when to attend relevant
trainings (for instance, in Aquaculture - on the water management system, getting the right stock, fish pond
management, etc.) separating personal plans from domestic plans, acquisition and management of funds/loan
facilities and the advantages of processing farm produce before sales.
Learners engage in role-playing, simulation, and other exercises to practice business concepts, experiment, take
risks and use creative problem-solving techniques. These processes help them understand farm business cycles,
record keeping, planning, purchasing decisions, group membership, monitoring, costing, basic cash flow, assessing
costs and benefits, and savings and credit. The training has a fundamentally simple logic: after training, farmers
would know how to keep records; by keeping records they would see where they were making or losing money;
from this knowledge they would learn how, by changing their practices on the purchase and use of quality inputs,
they could earn more money. The challenge has been how to deliver this on a commercially sustainable basis. The
next section shows how this challenge has been addressed.
MADE’s Application of the NAEC Tool
Before the MADE intervention, farmers and entrepreneurs often lacked basic planning skills and evaluation and
analysis tools to run their activities commercially, understand and diagnose the problems they encountered and
being able to solve them. This condition did not support the effective growth of their farms and enterprises. They
often approached farming solely for subsistence without the knowledge and application of business principles,
concepts or information about market conditions. This resulted in a lack of solid decision-making concerning
economic and technical aspects needed to maximize their productivity, income and profits. It also led to low
productivity and low margins across the value chain.
Understanding their weaknesses and how they can make more money if they change their approaches is a critical
skill set for farmers and agro service providers to improve their production, grow their incomes and sustain
development. MADE adopted NAEC to strengthen the provision of useful farming management practices
information to micro and small-scale farmers in the Niger Delta to improve farming, aquaculture and poultry
management processes and increase farmers’ income by increasing access to high-quality information.
In Rivers State, Jennifer and her team have trained 400 poultry farmers. Also, Jennifer’s Team has got a grant fund
opportunity to teach 100 Ogoni women on Aquaculture using the NAEC, and she says it was her proposal for the
NAEC tool that made the funds possible. Although she is not a MADE trainer in Aquaculture, Jennifer says she has
been able to network with Aquaculture NAEC trainers from MADE to come and provide the relevant support.
Jennifer also shared how the NAEC training has changed her approach to training. She noted that the NAEC is an
applied training that helps trainees understand how to use the training and identify their problems. During the
training she discussed and demonstrated the importance of record keeping skills. “You don’t have to have all the
records in your head, but you can know where the document is, or know who is keeping it, so that, at a short interval
when it is needed, you can quickly call for it. A poultry farmer, for instance, should know the number of birds he or
she has, the mortality and other records” says Jennifer Christopher, Team Leader, Bridge of Hope
8. 8
introduced in the country to support cereal crops farmers and service providers, it has been adopted through a
collaborative effort of MADE and its partners (PIND and MARKETS) for use in the Aquaculture Sector, and then
adapted to the Poultry Sector.
For maximum impact, there is need for a critical mass of trainers. After a pool of trainers in poultry NAEC was
increased to 29, MADE had 625 people after a year, but achieved 5,000 outreaches when it increased the pool of
trainers to 100. The average number of farmers reached by service providers increased from the initial 21 to 50.
Training farmers and service providers using the NAEC offers them a diagnostic tool that is critical to improving their
enterprise skills: Service providers and farmers who undergo NAEC training say that the tool enables them to
understand their problem and find solutions to them. They use NAEC as a diagnostic tool to detect the cause of their
problems, where they need improvement, and how to resolve their challenges. The tool guides them to plan, report
their business activities appropriately, get soft loans from the Banks and determine when they are profitable.
Service providers are now demonstrating the willingness to drive the market, get additional incomes by selling the
pieces of training as they progressively increase their scale of operations and provide advisory support to their
clients. MADE is encouraging service providers who stand as change agents to continue to sell the training to
farmers and other entrepreneurs who may need the skills to improve their production and income.
Selling pieces of training as embedded/ bundled service strengthens awareness and creates higher demand for
agricultural services and inputs: Service providers adopted the model to offer the training as an embedded service;
bundled together with other services and goods sold to farmers since farmers’ willingness to pay for training
services as a standalone is very low. Through this approach, service providers are creating awareness about other
services offered by them, leading to customers’ stickiness. This improves the reputation of the service providers as
reliable advisory supports/assistants. Some service providers are providing NAEC as part of the bundle of services
to their clients at a fee in cash or kind (poultry, fish, tubers of yams, plantain). Others are providing the training as
a differentiator to set them apart from competitors to gain farmers’ patronage.
Flexible delivery of trainings can lead to increased demand: Practical recommendations for increased success in
training delivery by NAEC partners captured at the NAEC learning event in April 2019 included i) adapting the
length and time of training sessions to suit the attitudes of the territorial adult to education; ii) using other
communication forms to reach yet inaccessible farmers (such as 30-minute radio-based phone in programmes);
and iii) using community telecommunication technologies to further expose NAEC to many other farmers.
Creating awareness and showing the value in one’s goods and services are critical success factors: Some of the service
providers extend the pieces of training as a means of creating awareness to inform farmers and entrepreneurs about
the value of NAEC and to expose them to their current business model’s problems. This in turn sensitises their
targets to come looking for the training. Farmers and entrepreneurs find more value in the NAEC tool as they gain
deeper understanding of the content. Although all recipients may not always follow the content of the NAEC to the
same degree or at the same time, over time, those who continue to refer to their kits and engage in selling the pieces
of training seem to begin to place higher value on it. They demonstrate that they have gained more benefits from
the lessons they learned. Some service providers are observing that because they spent the time after the training
to study their kits, they have been able to become better managers, improve their planning, production, and profit
and this has contributed to the increase in the success rate of these micro enterprises.
Participants from the NAEC learning event held in April 2019, confirmed the importance of continuing to raise
awareness on NAEC’s benefits. They suggested advocacy using media, town hall meetings and other group meetings
to disseminate information about the value proposition of NAEC to farmers and continued sharing of success stories
by beneficiaries. It was also suggested that forming partnerships with stakeholders (such as the Bank of Agriculture,
veterinary associations, corporative and microfinance banks, etc.) could help encourage uptake. Finally, trainers
taking ownership of the MADE developed platforms was identified as a way for relevant opportunities for spreading
NAEC stories and benefits.
Certification is an important incentive: Service Providers who are extending training to farmers and entrepreneurs
demand for certification considering the quality of the tool and value that the training delivers to beneficiaries.
Certification will also go a long way to present the responsibility as an aspirational opportunity for agribusiness
development for those in the sector.
Stakeholder engagement can shape good design of any intervention: We learned that NAEC training has been spread
to a large extent because service providers and co-facilitators working with MADE have taken the knowledge to the
10. 10
“During the training, I found out the things that I was not doing right in my farm. I did not know about farm planning,
proper record keeping, purchasing decisions, making analysis and basic biosecurity measures. I had issues with
underpricing because I did not know how much it cost me to rear one chicken from day-old size to table weight. So, my
profit was quite low” Isaac said.
Isaac's purpose for the poultry business was to get additional money. Although he made little profit, he didn’t know
how to increase it.
“The NAEC training showed me that I could make more profit with better management. On-farm planning I learnt to
take a holistic view, make financial projections, and see my likely costs before taking financial decisions at the start of
every business cycle. On proper record keeping, I understood that every cost or expense, no matter how small should
get documented with dates. In decisions for purchases, I learned that it is important to know what to buy, when, where
and how much, and for bio-security, I understood that if I get my bio-security right, I will reduce both production cost
and mortality. Then, on market analysis, I gained the value of gathering information on current prices of inputs in the
market; and all these would make my profit to increase”.
Isaac adopted these lessons and started another batch of birds in the last quarter of 2017. By keeping proper
records, he determined that it costs him NGN2,000 to rear up a bird from DOC to table weight. So, he sold each at
NGN5,000, making a profit of NGN3,000 per chicken. “In December 2017, I sold out 100 birds at an average price of
NGN5,000. I restocked another 100 chicks which I planned to sell off at Easter. Now, I keep a day to day record of every
financial activity in my farm” he said.