Ethiopian Livestock Feed (ELF) Project – introducing Techfit
By Alan Duncan, Inception meeting for the ‘Fodder and feed in livestock value chains in Ethiopia’ project
ILRI, Addis Ababa, 21-22 February 2012
Techfit
The problem
What is your main problem
Feed
What feed technologies
have you got?Planted forage
Urea treated strawBypass protein
OK, let’s try those
A solution
TechfitA discussion support tool for
prioritizing feed technologies
Key context attributes
Land
Labour
Credit
Input
Knowledge
Key technology attributes
Land
Labour
Credit
Input
Knowledge
The core concept
Key context attributes
Land
Labour
Credit
Input
Knowledge
Key technology attributes
Land
Labour
Credit
Input
Knowledge
x = Score
Matching context to technology
Technology filter
Scope for improvement of attribute
s
Context relevance (score 1-
6; low-high))
Impact potential (score 1-6; low-high)
Total score
(context X impact)
Requ Score 1-3
(1 for more; 3 for less)
Avail Score 1-3
(1 for less; 3 for
more)
Requ Score 1-3
(1 for more; 3 for less)
Avail Score 1-3
(1 for less; 3 for
more)
Requ Score 1-3
(1 for high;
3 for low)
Avail Score 1-3
(1 for less; 3 for
more)
Requ Score 1-3
(1 for high;
3 for low)
Avail Score 1-3
(1 for less; 3 for
more)
Requ Score 1-3
(1 for high;
3 for low)
Avail Score 1-3
(1 for less; 3 for
more)
Score 1-5 (1 for
less and 5 for
more)
Urea treatment of straw
2 3 6 3 2 2 2 2 0
Supplement with UMMB
2 5 10 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 22
By-pass protein feed
1 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 0
Feed conservation (surplus) (HAY)
4 3 12 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 41
etcetc
III.
TECHNOLOGY FILTER
(Technology options to
address quantity, quality,
seasonality issues)
Pre-select the obvious (5-6) based
on context relevance and impact potential
Score the pre-selected technologies based on the requirement, availability and scope for improvement of five technology attributes
Attribute 1: Land
Attribute 2: Labour
Attribute 3: Cash /credit
Attribute 4: Input delivery
Attribute 5: Knowledge
/skill
Total Score
Technology list
Pre-filter Main filte
rScore
Cost-benefit assessment
What does the technology cost?– Inputs, labour, land etc?
What does the technology deliver?– Enhanced milk yield, improved
reproductive performance, better growth etc
Does it make sense?
Final output
Ideas for some promising feed interventions that might work
Better understanding of why the usual suspects often don’t work.