Integrating crops and livestock for improved food security and livelihoods in rural Zimbabwe (ZimCLIFS)

1. Introduction •Lack of capital, frequent droughts, soil degradation, and poor access to

input/output markets limit the opportunities for smallholder (SH) farmers in

Zimbabwe to improve income and livelihoods. Food insecurity indicators

remain discouraging (Fig 1 and Table 1).

•The ZimCLIFS project aims to assist farmers to intensify and integrate

crop-livestock production systems through the use of Innovation Platforms

(IPs) to promote the adoption of appropriate technologies and value chain

innovations.

•This 3-year collaborative project is coordinated by ILRI. Other partners are

CIMMYT, ICRISAT, CSIRO and QAAFI. It is funded by ACIAR.

Specific project objectives are to:

increase the productivity of SH crop-livestock households by identifying

and adapting appropriate technologies and associated management

practices

improve farmers’ access to resources, technologies, information and

markets by characterising and strengthening crop and livestock value chains

increase the skills of research and extension staff and agribusiness in the

design and implementation of integrated farming systems research for

development programs in Zimbabwe

2. Activities implemented from October 2012 to April 2013 The project is operating in the Goromonzi and Murehwa Districts of the

Mashonaland East Province (avg. rainfall 800 mm/year), and in Nkayi,

Gwanda and Matobo Districts of Matabeleland N & S Provinces,

respectively (avg. rainfall is 450 mm/year).

Activities aim to improve productivity of crops and livestock at farm level by:

Identifying best-fit technologies and most promising value chain

innovations from the outputs of discussions with farmers and IPs, and

outputs from previous research and whole farm simulation modeling.

Identified technologies included:

o alternative cereal-legume rotations and intercropping practices

to intensify crop and fodder production under contrasting soil

management technologies

o alternative livestock and fodder production and conservation

technologies for cattle (dairy and beef) and goats

Developing appropriate tools for baseline diagnostics and better

targeting of technologies and innovations to households with

contrasting characteristics

Establishing IPs as vehicle for knowledge sharing and value chain

development

Other collaborating institutions

AGRITEX, DLPD (Department of Livestock Production & Development) and

two NGO Implementing Partners viz. CADS and CTDT.

3. Achievements to date • Hosting a stakeholder inception workshop in Oct. 2012 to share the scope of the project and agree

on operational framework

• Identified promising value chains: goats, groundnuts, maize in semi-arid region (SAR) and maize,

dairy, beef and goat in sub-humid region (SHR).

•Establishment of trials across the two different agro-ecologies: -

•Total area planted to trials = 59.6 ha (42.6 ha in SHR and 17.0 in SAR)

•Recruited 303 farmers into the project (i.e. 63% achievement - 172 in SHR and 131 in SAR).

•Harvesting agronomy trials. Hay-making in progress and set to be completed by end of May 2013.

•Commenced the establishment of IPs in Feb 2013 - 12 res. and 18 ext. staff trained on IPs.

• A combined baseline & VC survey was initiated in Apr. 2013 (delayed) to benchmark 1400 HHs

using a harmonized tool developed by ICRISAT and CIMMYT. Survey will be completed by end of

May 2013.

• Australian scientists from CSIRO and QAAFI have assisted local scientists to calibrate the IAT and

APSFARM simulation models to evaluate current SH farmers' crop and livestock production

systems and to identify suitable winter feeding technologies. •Other capacity building activities:

4. Lessons learnt:

4.1 Delivering Science –

• Need well-coordinated, timely planning and implementation of activities for success

• Farmers take long to reveal their opinions, build trust and provide the right answers to set up relevant

trials.

• Farmer feedback shows project offers a lot of hope for improved livelihoods.

4.2 Developing Capacity – • Project will reinforce stakeholder training for improved capacity

• To end hunger we need sustainable strategies for improved self reliance/entrepreneurial drive

• Innovation Platforms and partnerships employed by the project could play a pivotal role in addressing

capital and market related challenges currently facing farmers

Agronomic evaluation of forage cultivars

Agronomic evaluation of different cereal-legume intercrops & rotations to enhance grain & fodder production and soil fertility

Conservation of forages as hay and silage

Development of forage-based supplementary feeding practices

Pasture seed multiplication

3 7 2 5 4

Figure 1. Food insecurity index (FII) and total cereal

production and yield for Zimbabwe.

Source: Potgeiter, Davis & Rodriquez (undated, ACIAR

report)

Activity Date No of people

attending

Category of persons

Data collection training and Project Review workshop Jan /Feb 2013 51 Govt & NGO staff

Pre-harvest training in procedures and data collection March 51 Ext staff

Principles of hay-making Mar 2013 65 SH farmers & Ext staff

Principles of silage-making Apr 2013 25 SH farmers & Ext.

Fielddays and field tours Mar –Apr ‘13 Numerous All categories

G.J.Manyawu 1, S. Moyo1, I. Nyagumbo 2, A. van Rooyen 3, S. Homann 3, G. Tesfahan2 , P. Masikate 3, W. Mupangwa2, J. Nyamangara 3, D. Rodriguez5,

N. Macleod4, I. Chakoma 1, E. Mutsamba 2, S.Mugwara 2, T. Dube 3 and J. Mataruse 2

1 ILRI, 2 CIMMYT, 3 ICRISAT, 4CSIRO, 5QAAFI

Table 1: Per capita consumption of

livestock products and beef slaughter

statistics

Product Year Value

Meat 1980 13.2 kg

Meat 2012 21.3 kg*

Beef slaughters

(nos.)

2000 605,000

Beef slaughters

(nos.)

2012 200,000

Dairy 2002 25 ltr

Dairy 2012 8 ltr**

* mainly due to increased poultry consumption.

** S.Afr. = 56 ltrs and Zambia = 10 ltrs

This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Lisence May 2013