Planning gef grant
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Gender Focus
It is RSDA?s way of working to usually attend to the varying needs of both men and women when projects like these are implemented. So during the project inception meetings gender issues related to use of agro chemicals will be discussed and used to adapt our training tool. The groups that will be involved in the project are already more than 80% women. So women will benefit a lot from the project intervention. That will be especially clear because our project records are segregated by gender.
Policy Impact
The intervention is in line with the national priority of decreasing the rates of mortality and morbidity caused by environmental health hazards and reducing hazards caused by inappropriate waste disposal
Notable Community Participation
The project is addressing a problem which has been expressed by the participating farmers, field based extension officers and Agriculture head quarters and has planned the project together with these actors. The methodology adapted by the project is to train extension officers, train lead farmers and those will be responsible for taking the awareness message to other farmers and the public.
The umbrella farmers Association which are part of this project have been practicing both Machobane Farming System and Permaculture principles to produce their own food in their individual gardens and fields. Both systems are environmental sound systems which discourage use of agro-chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) for over 16 years. They are happy to be refreshed with new information. They will be given an opportunity to make an input in the train tool. Once given the new information, they will be motivated to do more.
Project sustainability
The project trained trainers comprising extension officers and lead farmers who have already and will continue to take the awareness message to other farmers and the public. The use of field days which brought together policy makers, farmers and researchers and donors have have not only created awareness but have also initiated dialogue. Demonstration sites have been established and availed as Agric Students research sites. THe training tools that have been developed in English and in the local language will continue to be produced and disseminated.
Capacity - Building Component
The project will empower agriculture extension officers and smallholder farming community to reduce the risks of impact of agro-chemicals and encourage sustainable land management through practice of integrated pest management methods. The demonstration of integrated pest management demonstration will be on the same site as the indigenous chicken demonstration (biodiversity) and they will complement each other as manure and worms to improve the soils will also be food for the chickens.
The 3 Umbrella organizations ? Thaba Tso?eu-Sephula, Akofang Makaota and Majantja Temong will mobilize 54 lead farmers among their membership who will be trained and be responsible for creating awareness in the villages. The Umbrella associations have more than 16 years experience in producing their food using environmentally sound methods and practices.
The project will be implemented with smallholder farmers and extension staff in the districts of Mafeteng and Mohale?s Hoek where RSDA is operating. Other participants will also be Local Government Councils and Disaster management committees in the Districts. The project will also be implemented in partnership with the respective DAOs and the already identified Lecturers from the Department of Crop Science at the National University of Lesotho. The Department of Crop Science will bring technical expertise on handling of chemical, while RSDA bring the alternative to the farmers, which is the science on integrated pest management. The practicals and demonstrations will be viewed at Ha Nots?i, Mafeteng and Phamong in Mohale?s hoek.
Beyond the project RSDA will continue to maintain the demonstrations established through the project and assist the two DAOs to roll out good practices emanating from the project.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
The proposed project seeks to increase awareness of Extension Officers and lead farmers on handling, storage and use of POPs especially agro-chemicals; and, to increase knowledge on integrated pest management in practice. This will be done through among other things training workshops and establishment of field demonstration plots; open field days; and policy dialogue.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The umbrella farmers Association which are part of this project have been practicing both Machobane Farming System and Permaculture principles to produce their own food in their individual gardens and fields. Both systems are environmentally sound systems which discourage use of agro-chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) for over 16 years. They are happy to be refreshed with new information. They will be given an opportunity to make an input in the development of the training tool. Once given the new information, they will be motivated to do more to improve their production.
Replication of project activities
Through the project, a total of 33 lead farmers and 28 extension officers received trining on safe use of agro-chemicals and integrated pest Management (IPM). the extension officers represented all resources centres in the district. Todate the lead farmers have already reached out to 728 fellow farmers from their associations.
Planning non gef grant
Training and awareness creation about safe use and handling of acgicutural chemicals was a collaborative initiative between the Grantee, the District Agricultural Office in the project area, the Department of Agric Research and athe National University of Lesotho. The urgent need for follow-up training for other extension officers and farmers outside the project area was brought up during trainings and acknowledged by authorities who undertook to jointly source additional funds to continue with the trianing and to procure protective clothing for extension officers.
Project Results
Awareness creation about handling of chemicals to those that are actively promoting use of herbicides amongst farmers alongside the promotion of conservation farming, under the Lesotho Government?s program.
-Public awareness has been initiated through use of Agriculture Information slot over Lesotho Television and Radio Lesotho and a national coverage has been reached. 33 Lead farmers have been trained and have been engaged to create awareness on 728 fellow farmers from their associations.
-Printed information materials have been distributed; calendars, army worm brochures, training materials for Extension Officers and for lead farmers. A lot of the materials were also distributed during the SGP Best Practice and knowledge fair which was a national event creating a wider coverage for creation of awarenes on safe use of ago-chemicals in Lesotho
-A field day that was held and this created a platform for dialogue for over 179 participants comprising the Hon Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, students from Agric college and National University of Lesotho, National farmers unions, district level umbrella associations, farmers, teachers, support groups, chiefs, media, donors, among others.
Training tool on safe use of agro-chemicals and integrated pest Management (IPM) developed
-The training tool document is available in both Sesotho and English.
Agricultural Extension officers and lead farmers trained
-28 (6 males, 22 females) participated in the training. The participants were given the English training tool and other reference material.
-33 farmers received training (18 women and 15 men). The representation was from the 3 umbrella associations in Mafeteng and Mohale?s Hoek
Establishment of demonstration sites
-Fields covering 27 acres have been set aside for training to demonstrate both integrated pest management (IPM) and to be used for practicals on safe use of agro-chemicals.Todate 25 acres have been planted to yellow maize, oats, cow peas, beans, fodder sorghum and sunflower of which 8.4 acres is under conservation farming. The IPM techniques demonstrated includes intercropping, crop rotation and use of cover crops for weed management and for breaking the cycle of pest insects.
