Promoting Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Diversification in Eastern Africa
.jpg)
Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with more than half of the population under 25 years of age. Unleashing the capacity of young women and men to effectively participate in the modernization of the agricultural sector is imperative for enhanced resilience, improved food security and poverty reduction. Rural youth employment has been identified as a major national and regional priority in Eastern Africa. Aquaculture and poultry production are agricultural areas with the potential to boost nutritious food production, livelihood diversification and income generation. Sustainable, integrated and innovative practices to enhance youth entrepreneurship were needed, as well as supporting mechanisms to enable farmers to produce nutrient-dense foods for schoolchildren, the community at large and domestic and regional markets. Against this background, the project aimed to promote greater diversity and intensification of the poultry and aquaculture value chains, to improve nutrition and offer better job prospects for young people in four recipient countries in Eastern Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Lessons learned and good practices derived from the four baby projects were shared with other countries in the subregion: Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and United Republic of Tanzania.
What did the project do
The project established youth microenterprises and outgrower schemes in order to meet both demand and supply of seeds (fingerlings and pullets) by increasing production and productivity. A combination of contract farming and public-private partnerships (PPP) models were established to support the inclusion and training of youth in producer associations and provide business orientation to young farmers, creating suitable conditions to ensure decent employment. Market opportunities, such as supermarkets, roadside markets, hotels and restaurants, as well as regional agriculture markets, were also identified and/or enhanced for fish and eggs. Intensive training courses provided on the various segments of the supply and value chains, as well as on group dynamics for better functioning of small-scale producer groups, enabled them to work effectively across the value chain and ensure its sustainability in the country. Several fish and poultry producers were certified by respective government authorities to ensure technological and sanitary sustainability. In terms of economic and financial sustainability, the gradual withdrawal of support to the subprojects and request for beneficiaries to co-share project activities in respective farms encouraged ownership and the creation of financial responsibility. Regarding the sustainability of gender equality objectives of the project, women, especially in the poultry and school-feeding programmes, have diversified their livelihoods and those of the communities, and have been self-empowered by the purchase of rural and urban land, the production of several crops, and livestock, trade and transport activities. The financial empowerment of these women in beneficiary communities will sustain the gender equality approach undertaken during the project period.Impact
The project contributed to reducing rural poverty and increasing food security through decent youth employment, entrepreneurship generation, and sustainable production intensification of fish and eggs in targeted areas of the four recipient countries. Substantial achievements were made in creating employment opportunities for the target groups, moving beneficiaries from aid to trade, and orienting farmers to become commercial entrepreneurs; as well as improving the nutrition status of schoolchildren and communities by implementing a value chain strategy that shortens the production cycle and reduces the associated risks for farmers. Hatcheries that were supported are now experiencing 85 percent survival of fingerlings per batch, making fingerlings more available to the region, where access had been chronically limited. Egg production evolved in some cases from zero to 100 percent adoption and farmers’ success.Activities
- In Burundi 340 beneficiaries were supported though the establishment of poultry farm units for egg production; while in Rwanda the project supported 225 beneficiaries to establish poultry farm units for egg production.
- In Kenya the project benefited 454 beneficiaries in 85 farms, with an average of 300 m2 of water surface across 552 ponds in six counties; and in Uganda youth groups were supported (a total of 490 youths) with 800 000 fingerlings for stocking their ponds and cages over a period of three years.
- Beneficiaries learned hands-on techniques, through intensive group and individual training sessions, Farmer Field Schools and exchange field visits, on different aspects of the value chains: aquaculture and poultry production farming systems, construction and new technologies, farm management and business plans feeds formulation and feeding systems; among other topics.
- In Uganda the project supported six commercial hatcheries with new technologies and/or improved traditional techniques by providing equipment for five mini hatcheries; as well as feed for seeds (hatchery), nursing facilities (hapas), hormones, etc.
- In Kenya and Uganda an average of 1 012 642 fingerlings per month was produced by 26 hatcheries through the introduction of new technologies; translating into a shift in average month gross income (six hatcheries) from USD 8 205 to USD 41 848.
- In Burundi and Rwanda, an average of 6 500 eggs/month/farmer was produced, translating into an average gross income of USD 6 440 and a net average income of USD 245/month/farmer (Rwanda) and USD 239/month/farmer (Burundi).
- Baseline and mid-term studies on egg and fish markets were conducted, and some of the recommendations were adopted by the baby projects, based on the specifics of each country.