SASAKAWA AFRICA ASSOCIATION
 

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
 

 

 

 

 

 


Meeting the Information Requirements  of all Targets Groups within the Post-Harvest Sector

 

 

 

 

 

The  SAA- IITA  Agro-Processing  Project  Experience

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

                        Presented during :

 

Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR) &  Global Initiative on Post-Harvest Technology  (GIPhT)

Entebbe,Uganda -  September 17th to  21st, 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organised by:                                                 Sponsored by:                       Funded by:

Marketing and Post-Harvest                               Foodnet & FAO/AGSI              FAO/AGSI

Research in Eastern and

Central Africa(Foodnet) &

Food and Agricultural Organisation

 of the United Nations (FA0)/ Agro-industries

 and Post-harvest Management Service (AGSI)

           

 

By:

·          Toshiro Mado (Program Officer, Agro-processing Project, SAA ,Tokyo- Japan)

·          Leonides Halos-Kim (Research- Postharvest Specialist, International Institute of Tropical   Agriculture, Ibadan –Nigeria)

·          Antoine Aoga (Food Technologist, SAA-IITA  Agro-processing country Coordinator, Cotonou, Benin).

Meeting of Information Requirements of all Target Groups within Post-Harvest Sector:the SAA/IITA Agro-Pocessing  Project Experience.

                 By T.Mado, L.Halos-Kim  &  A. Aoga

 

Since 1986, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)  has collaborated with the Global 2000 program of the Carter Center in finding ways to raise the productivity of African farmers.

Introduction of proven agricultural technology is the key to overcoming hardship and hunger that blights the lives of millions of people in Africa.

Sasakawa-Global 2000 (SG2000) projects are currently under way in some 10 African countries.

The perishability and bulkiness of agriculture products are important reasons farmers in many areas fail to benefit from the growing food demand in population centres. If crops start to spoil before they reach consumers, or if harvest prices are low, the efforts of farmers to double and triple their yields may be futile. One way farmers can avoid these postharvest losses and add value to their harvested crops is through processing.

A constraint to the full utilisation of food crops  in Africa is the lack of technologies to facilitate processing them into a more durable form immediately after harvest. This results in both qualitative and quantitative losses.

SAA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) launched a collaborative project in 1994 to introduce improved tools and simple machines for processing cereals, roots and tubers, and oilseeds into different foodstuffs.

The SAA-IITA Agro-Processing Project is aimed to identify, develop and disseminate appropriate postharvest (agro-processing) technologies to the rural processors working initially in Ghana & Benin and puts emphasis on enhancing the welfare of the rural families particularly: women & children; small-scale crop and food processors; and local manufacturers.

The project works with  other governmental and non-governmental organizations working on improving crop postharvest system in each country.

In Ghana, SAA & IITA work with the Ministry of Agriculture through the Agricultural Engineering Services Division (AESD), the Women in Agricultural Development(WIAD).

In Benin, SAA & IITA work with the  Direction de la Formation Opérationnelle et de la Vulgarisation (DiFOV) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries.

Each stakeholder is bound by the common desire to succeed and so maintain close communication and share information and resources.

Local manufacturers are also important partners in the project. They are engaged in the fabrication of the agro-processing equipment and make them available locally with the associated services needed to maintain and sustain the functionality of the equipment.

IITA is responsible for technology development and spearheads the training courses on development fabrication and servicing of the technologies.

SAA and the collaborating partners are responsible for the promotion of the technologies through demonstrations and developing partnerships/linkages with appropriate sectors in making the technologies available to the end-users.

 

STRATEGY  OF THE  PROJECT

 

The weak linkage between agriculture and industry can be seen quite often. Most of the agro-metal workshops (manufacturers) are located in the urban areas while most farmers and agro-processors are in the rural areas do not have access to the manufacturers and do not know the kind of technologies available. This gap between farmers and manufacturers obstructs the integrated business development interests of both parties.

The project aims to fill this gap and operates to provide information on agro-processing technology opportunities and training. Activities of the project are designed at enabling the environment including human and material resources to source, adapt and adopt technological interventions.

 

Training is provided to development and extension workers as well as end-users to enable them manage the project and sustain the technologies.

Different types of training are conducted for various groups of beneficiaries.

   One type is training on design, development and management agro-processing technologies It is designed to develop skills of personnel who are responsible for demonstrating the technologies and in training operators.

They are also expected to oversee the sustainability of the technologies in the transition from a project-base to a processor or farmer- managed system.

A second type of training is on manufacturing of agro-processing equipment. It is aimed at enabling local manufacturers to meet the demands for improved agro- processing equipment.

Servicing of the equipment is now integrated in the training program for manufacturers.

Recently, the importance of after-sales service and quality control to sustain the functionality of the processing equipment become necessary.

Consequently also, quality control task forces or teams are being organised and mobilised by participating manufacturers in an effort to maintain a high standard of equipment being delivered.

The training has been decentralised and conducted in-country to promote the local manufacturing industry. This encouraged the use of locally available materials and services reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating importation cost, thus making the technologies more affordable to the users.

The third of training covers operations and management of technologies. It is intended to enable operators, farmers, and agro-processors to optimise the training includes actual operation of the equipment, analyses of advantages and disadvantages of the technologies, and tips for successful agro- enterprise  management. Trained extension workers and the manufacturers usually conduct this type of training. Consequently, the extension workers increase their contacts with farmers and agro-processors, which improves their credibility .For the manufacturers, it is part of their product promotion and after-sales services.

 

Fields demonstrations provide an opportunity for extension workers and manufacturers to get direct  responses from farmers and agro-processors on the suitability of the technologies being introduced. Farmers and processors  are allowed to operate the equipment during the demonstration giving them immediate exposure to the technology. This process stimulates interaction and generates information on design, make and performance of the technologies which are communicated back to the designer. This feedback mechanism facilitates technology development and enhances the suitability and adoptability of the technology  being promoted.

Involving policy makers and development agencies during demonstrations also allow for  sensitisation of rural development projects which could solicit support for funding, adoption and implementation.

 

Parallel to the demonstration activity, model processing centres are established to showcase improved agro-processing technologies and their associated benefits. The set –up of the centre is based on system dynamic in which factors affecting and affected by the technologies are present. Unlike field demonstrations , which are done occasionally, the processing centre operates under actual circumstances affecting operation efficiency, management and profitability. The centre also serves as training venue for researchers and extension workers while providing more information on utilisation potentials and constraints that are used to fine-tune the technologies.

The centres are established with the active participation of farmers and agro-processors in  different agro- ecological environments. The sites are selected on the basis of crops and cropping patterns, volume of production, nature of crop processing and utilisation, accessibility to markets, availability of extension services, etc. The sites are also selected for their potential for commercial activities and market expansion.

 

Technology development and technology transfer processes take time and require multilateral information exchanges among agencies involved to optimise utilisation of their limited resources.

One key role that the project plays is to stimulate multilateral information exchange and co-operation that could create a consensus that developing an agro-processing industry must be a joint effort of several stakeholders, each one having an unique and complementary role to play. This linkage also promotes exchange of information and eliminates duplication of development efforts resulting in more efficient project management.

NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and other development organisations in country contact  SAA/IITA project for information on appropriate type of equipment available and where they could be purchased.

 

 For promotion of developed equipment other means of information are used:

 Use of mass media (print, radio, video, television )

  Participation in the trade fairs and farmers days.

 

 

 

 

 

ACHIEVEMENTS

 

One of the most satisfying results of the SAA/IITA partnership has been the results on the manufacturing side. Today, more than 83 fully-trained machinists, welders, mechanics and other technicians from collaborating manufacturers in Ghana & Benin and  from countries reached by SAA/IITA Project adopting improved agro-processing equipment like Togo, Mali, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mozambique, Uganda are a direct result of this partnership.

Over the last 7 years, the SAA/IITA Agro-processing Project has disseminated different types of agro-processing equipment chosen according to the  crop and food processing patterns in the localities.

 

Table 1- Collaborating manufacturers

 

COMPANY NAME/     LOCATION

 

TYPE  OF INSTITUTION

AGRO-PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ADOPTED

BENIN

APROMAH, Bohicon

Association pour la Promotion des Matériels Agro-Alimentaires et Hydraulique

 

        CAMEMEC , Godomey

Construction-Ajuqstage-Menuiserie Métallique et Clouterie

 

 

 

 

 

  CFTS, Ouidah

Centre de Formation Technique Mgr

Steinmetz

 

     COBEMAG,Parakou

Coopérative Béninoise de Matériels Agricoles

 

 

 

Semi-private/Cooperative

 

 

 

 

 

Private

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Private

 

 

 

 

Semi-private/ Cooperative

 

Wet-Type grinder, Oil press, Grater, Double  Screw Press

 

 

 

 

In-Field Cart, Grater, Double Screw Press, Single Screw Press, Cassava Mash Sifter, Multi-Crop Thresher, Chipper, Wet-Type Grinder, Digester, Grain Cleaner/ Sorter, Fermenting Rack

 

 

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner/Sorter, wet-Type Grinder

 

In-Field Cart, Grater, Double Screw Press, Cassava Mash Sifter, Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner/Sorter, Wet-Type Grinder, Sheanut Crusher, Rice Mill, Chipper

GHANA

 

ITTU – GRATIS Foundation , Tema

Intermediate Technology Transfer Units – Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Services (8 Re

gional IITUs partipating)

 

ENTESEL, Tema

Engineering and Technical Sevices Ltd.

 

R.T.S.C  Mampong and Techiman

Rural Technology Service Center

 

 

Formerly, Government, now a Foundation

 

 

 

 

Private

 

 

 

Private (IFAD supported project)

 

 

Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner /Sorter, Grater, Chipper, Palm oil Digester /Kernel Cracker

 

 

 

Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner/Sorter, In-Field Cart, Chipper, Wet-Type Grinder, Palm Oil Digester,

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Fermenting Rack, Chipper

ETHIOPIA

  

 NRC, Nazareth

 National Research Center

(Agric.Mechanization Research Division)

 

TIBEBU Metal Work, Awassa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Government

 

 

 

Private(Trained by NRC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multi-Crop Thresher, Grinder, Polisher

 

 

 

 

Multi-Crop Thresher

MALI

IMAF, Bamako

Industrie Mali Flexible

 

Private

 

Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner/Sorter

BURKINA FASO

CNEA Ouagadougou & Bobodioulasso

(Centre National  Equipement Agricole)

 

 

Government

 

Multi-Crop Thresher, Grain Cleaner/Sorter

MOZAMBIQUE

 

AGRO-ALFA S.AR.L, Maputo

Agricultural Tools & Equipment Rural Assistance Metal Works

 

KANES Alfarias Agricolas, SARL, Maputo

 

 

 

Private

 

 

Private

 

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Chipper, Cassava Mash Sifter

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Chipper,

TOGO

FAMEZIO, Tsevié

Fabrication Metallique de Zio

 

Private

 

Grater, Double Screw Press

UGANDA

AGECO, Iganga

Afro General Engineers and Contractors

 

 

AEATRI, Kampala

Agricultural Engineering Appropriate Technology Research Institute

 

NVTI, Kampala

Nakawa Vocational Training Institute

 

TONNET ENTERPRISES, Kampala

 

 

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Government

 

 

Government (Supported by JICA)

 

Private

 

 

 

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Fermenting Rack, Cassava Mash Sifter

 

 

 

 

Chipper, Wet-Type Grinder

 

 

Chipper, Wet-Type Grinder, Gari Frying Stove

 

 

Grater, Double Screw Press, Fermenting Rack, Cassava Mash Sifter

 

 

The success of the project is seen not only in the increasing number of agro-processing equipment manufactured and sold by trained manufacturers but also in the strengthening of linkages among the various stakeholders .The stakeholders know their roles and responsibilities in relation to the different elements of the project resulting in its  smooth implementation. Table 2 shows an example of this linkage in training and field demonstration.

 

Table 2-Role sharing among stakeholders of the agro-processing project

 

STAKEHOLDERS

TRAINING FOR EXTENSIONIST

TRAINING FOR MANUFACTURERS

TRAINING FOR USERS

FIELD DEMONSTRATION /PRODUCTION PROMOTION

Ministry of Agriculture

Staff Appointment as Counterpart

 

Planning and Co-ordination of Field Activity

Planning and Co-ordination of Field Activity

Ministry of Industry

Staff Appointment as Counterpart

 

Planning and Co-ordination of Field Activity

Planning and Co-ordination of Field Activity

Agro-metal Workshops/Manufacturers

 

-Selection

- Cost Sharing

Customer Service

Production, Quality Control, Promotion/Marketing

Farmers and Agro-Processors

 

 

Technology Utilisation

Feedback

IITA (other research and development institutions)

Trainer

Trainer

 

-Technology design, testing and adaptations

-Quality Control

SAA

 

Co-ordination and Funding

Co-ordination and Funding

Feedback

Funding

 

We notice that, it is very important this role sharing because agro-processing is a multifaceted issue, the involvement of many development and extension agencies is very important and that each one understand and execute their roles accordingly contributing their resources and benefiting from it.

 

A notable accomplishment of the project is building up the capacity of the partners and strengthening the human resource-base in each country, recognising the comparative advantage of the local partners in the dealing directly with the end-users. Trained staff of participating national and other development programs is now able to organise effective field demonstration and implement training courses in relation to technology operation and management.

Several adoption decisions in each country resulted from recommendations of the trained staff. They also participate in designing and implementing monitoring surveys to assess the impact of the project.

Training of manufacturers and co-ordinating their activities so that the technologies are supplied with the right quality is yet another output of the project. The after –sales service component of the training makes the manufacturing industry more viable and attractive, eliminating one of the constraints to adoption of imported technologies, the availability of spare parts and services.

We should not use the excuse that technology doesn’t move because of weak extension system. We found this as a constraint therefore we have high priority to develop that capacity more than the requirement for technologies.

 

 

A vision shared by project collaborators is to develop the local training capability to reduce project costs and empower the local stakeholders.

Manufacturers are trained to understand the design features of the equipment so that they could do some local adaptations. Their training also focuses on quality control and after service more than skill development. The project also encourages manufacturers to take up the costs of demonstrations as part of their promotional activities. Operator’s training should in fact be considered as part of manufacturers’ care. They need to evolve their business operations to adopt the cost of operators’ training in order to maintain their linkage with the customers.

The collaborating manufacturers in Ghana and Benin (table 1) agreed among each other to form a network. The network will enhance their capability on the basis of complementarily of roles in the supply of demanded equipment while maintaining competitiveness a driving factor in producing high quality products and pursuing their business objectives.

In Benin Republic, the network (Réseau des fabricants de Matériels de Transformation des Produits Agricoles, Réseau F.M.T.A.- Benin)formed by the alliance of the 4 collaborating manuafcturers (COBEMAG, CAMEMEC,CFTS and APROMAH) won the recognition of the government to operate officially to supply the demand for improve agro-processing equipment. The network has been registered under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

IN Ghana the process of registration of the network  is continuing. One of the network’s activities embodied in their by-laws is the establishment of store for spare parts which will be accessible to the members of the network and the users. Availability of spare parts is key to sustainability of the machines and is a concern of all stakeholders.

 

As the project prepares for more rigorous impact assessment , it was necessary to locate the agro-processing equipment fabricated and sold by trained manufacturers.

A monitoring survey is being carried out for this purpose and to find out the extent to which project intervention is affecting the ownership and management of the equipment that could relate to who actually benefits from the process and sustainability of the system. The first part of the survey included only the more mechanised machines which involves high investment costs but has capacity to generate income.

It was found out that some individual entrepreneurs already adopting the technology and that management of the technologies is mainly in the hands of these users.

These equipment are commonly owned by group of processors (usually women’s groups) either bought through loans or donated by some development organisations. Normally the group hires an operator and the machine is used to process the product of the members and times used to service non-members. Group ownership brings the users to invest collectively and benefit from it.

The level of adoption of the technologies is encouraging. One contributing factor is the awareness created by the activities of the project and the linkages created between technology-users, the manufacturers and potential funding organisations.

Problems on operation, repair and maintenance reported by users such as proximity of services , lack of training on proper operation and management of the equipment are guiding the project team to re-orient its strategy.

The  adoption of technologies is shown in the table 3 of the sales record from

 1995 to 2000.

Table 3: Total sales of selected agro-processing equipment in Ghana and Benin, 1995 –2000

Type of equip.

Cassava grater

Double Screw Press

Palm

Digester

 

Multi

Thresher

Wet Grinder

No of Units

 

217

176

43

39

5

 

 

CHALLENGE

 

 

IDENTIFIED GAPS

  The questions in front of us are:

  1. What benefits have farmers and agro-processors gained from using improve agro-processing techniques?
  2. Are national and other development programs ready to take up the challenge with less external funding?

A quick look at the project achievements highlights the visibility of project in helping to promote the agro- processing enterprise to provide sustainable income to farmers, agro-processors and manufacturers. The project is able to demonstrate that a collective efforts of different agencies could bring improve agro-processing technologies to target beneficiaries. Different entities working together reduce the cost of the project as it eliminates duplication of efforts and waste of resources. It also addresses directly the specific issues raised by the stakeholders.

Target beneficiaries are guided properly on appropriate sources of information and possible linkages to relevant projects and funding institutions.

The national programs have direct responsibility in improving the delivery of technological development in their domain. It should make a clear message and take a strong initiative to lead several collective efforts in pursuing projects towards the national goal of food availability and sufficiency.

The need to reach out to involve more private enterprises who could take care of their businesses, training of manufacturers on quality control, the government policies (on supplies of raw materials, marketing system, improved infrastructures)

The need to encourage production of good quality products among others.

 

References:

 

Feeding the Future, 1997, Issue 10, produced for SAA by  Raitt Orr & Associates Ltd, London SWI.

Feeding the Future, 2000, Issue 15, produced for SAA by Raitt Orr & Associated Ltd. London SW1.

Kwarteng,Joseph,ed.1999.Enhancing Postharvest Technology Generation and Dissemination in Africa. Mexico City: Sasakawa Africa Association.

Halos-Kim,L. and T.Mado Introducing Improved Agro-processing Equipment in Sub-Saharan Africa: the SAA/IITA Experience. In workshop 2001  Africa Food Security in a Changing Environment: Sharing Good Practices and Experiences, Kampala, Uganda, June 6th to 9th, 2001.