PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kétline Adodo
DATE: March 5, 2002
Regional
Partners of the Integrated Soil Fertility Management Project
Evaluate Achievements and Prospects
Abomey, Benin--The
historical city of Abomey, Benin, was host to the Fourth Annual
International Workshop of IFDC’s Soil Fertility Management
Project. The objective of this project is to promote Integrated Soil
Fertility Management (ISFM) strategies at the village and regional
levels, in close collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental
organizations in West Africa. Some key elements of the ISFM approach
include:
- Strategic
selection of target zones presenting comparative advantages in
terms of the potential for agricultural intensification.
- Strategic choice
of partners for effective collaboration and sustainability of
the approach.
- Participatory
development of methods for restoring soil fertility, implying
farmers’ participation in diagnosing the situation, making an
inventory of local fertilization practices, and testing and
adapting ISFM strategies.
 During
January 28-February 1, 2002, thirty partners from seven countries—Benin,
Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo—met for their
annual workshop to evaluate the activities and achievements since
the inception of the project and to analyze prospects and future
projects considering the changing circumstances in the field.
The Honorable
Theophile Nata, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
presided over the opening ceremony. After this ceremony, IFDC’s
programs, activities, and capabilities were highlighted and
illustrated. "Benin, like all other countries represented at
this meeting, is seriously affected by declining soil fertility due
to poor farming practices and overexploitation of the soils,"
stressed The Honorable Minister in his opening speech. He then
applauded IFDC for the agricultural intensification initiative,
which is being implemented through ISFM practices. "It seems to
us that this approach is most appropriate since it implies full
participation of stakeholders in the development of the proposed
strategies and the facilitation of input accessibility through the
development of input and output markets," he concluded.
Dr. Henk Breman,
Director of the IFDC Africa Division, remarked, "Several
governments have withdrawn from the fertilizer sector without
creating enabling conditions to motivate private entrepreneurs to
play a leading role in the development of agricultural markets and
to encourage farmers to invest in the improvement of their
soils."
The Director of the
Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin, Dr. Jean
Detongnon, drew attention to the encouraging results obtained with
the technological packages developed and tested in farmers’
fields. "To date, more than 250 Benin farmers from two selected
sites are involved in the project, which was started in the country
in 1996. The impact is translated into substantial increases in
maize yields and discernible improvements in soil status,"
Detongnon noted.
The highlight of
this workshop was a field trip to Ahohoue, a pilot village in
central Benin. The farmers participating in the project presented
their results, discussed activities, and gleaned lessons for the
next cropping seasons. Farms are ranked according to criteria
established by the farmers themselves; these criteria include timely
and efficient use of fertilizers, manure, household refuse, crop
residues, legumes, rock phosphate, etc.
Three farmers
representing different farm categories presented their work. Each
farmer presented a technical chart describing the geographic
location of his or her farm; the production planning for the two
rainy seasons; the number, type and sequence of activities, inputs
and materials used, and results achieved. These various experiences
and production processes emphasized the importance of the risk
factor in farmers’ decisions regarding the use of fertilizers.
They also highlighted the importance of organic matter in improving
the efficiency of fertilizer use, which was illustrated by the
striking differences observed between homestead fields where
household refuse is available and bush fields.
When asked what
attracts them to the project, all farmers stress the following
aspects: access to fertilizer and credit, the performance of
improved varieties, and yield improvements obtained with the ISFM
packages. The opportunity to share ideas and experiences with peers
was also mentioned.
Women are very
active in the region and contribute to the improvement and
management of the household income. They appear to be in a better
position compared to their male counterparts in terms of access to
and management of household wastes. When asked what changes economic
success has brought into her life, one of the women farmers, Mrs.
Robert Elisabeth, replied, "First, I feel good about myself;
secondly I can provide for my personal needs and those of my family.
I cannot ask for more."
After these lively
presentations and discussions, the Leader of the Input Accessibility
Program (IAP) of the IFDC Africa Division, Dr. Arno Maatman, thanked
the farmers and extension agents for their outstanding achievements
and exhorted them to carry on with this collaborative effort.
"I’ve been impressed by the knowledge and experience you have
gained through the implementation of the ISFM packages,"
Maatman concluded. "Today, my colleagues and I have learned
much from you; I believe mutual learning is an essential key to
success."
During the
workshop, partners from each participating country presented their
annual report by taking stock of activities, analyzing changes in
the process and approach, and exploring future prospects. Dr.
Bayebinam K.Kezie, Agricultural Economist of the IAP and one of the
project coordinators, emphasized the importance of combining
agronomic and economic analyses. "It is impossible to persuade
farmers without economic facts." Therefore, the project insists
on helping farmers to develop budgeting methods to consider all
possible costs and to estimate the value of the time invested for
each factor such as family labor. "It is essential for all of
us to assess the influence of each production factor on the final
results, that is, to find the knots of success or failure."
The reports
presented at the workshop revealed some shortcomings, including the
lack of multidisciplinary analyses. The Project’s partners are
committed to further integrating agronomic, economic and
sociological components in their approach and acknowledged the need
to tackle the biophysical and socioeconomic constraints to the
adoption of the proposed packages. Some participants also stressed
the need for more interactions at the management level and exchange
visits by scientists of partner institutions and IFDC.
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