Workshop outline

&

Project update

Sander Zwart

Sawah, Market Access and Rice Technologies for Inland Valleys (SMART-IV)

Mid-term project workshop, June 21-23, 2012

Cotonou, Benin

SMART-IV mid-term project meeting May 21-23

Dr Youssouf Dembélé30.6.1952 – 24.4.2012

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

Workshop agenda (1/4)

Monday May 21 – morning

Opening of the workshop

Project update

Monday May 22 – afternoon

Development activities in Benin

Development activities in Togo

Mid-term evaluation

Discussion on the way forward

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

Workshop agenda (2/4)

Tuesday May 22

Field visits to the development and research sites in:

• Ouinhi

• Ayize

• Bamé

Departure from hotels at 8.00am

Check with Carine Kan for transport schedule from

station/home

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

Wednesday May 23 – morning

Research updates on:

• Water management

• Soil fertility

• Remote Sensing & GIS

• Economics and impact

Workshop outline (3/4)

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

Wednesday May 23 (continued)

Two parallel sessions:

1. Discussion sessions on:

• Water management research – coordination of activities

• Development – coordination and planning of activities

2. Parallel ‘one-to-one’ discussion sessions with Japanese

delegation

Closure of the workshop.

Workshop agenda (4/4)

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - review process

Review process developed by MAFF:

April: internal project review commissioned by MAFF

May: mid-term workshop + discussion with MAFF

July: overall project plan, including WP, OP, EO, EC, will be

reviewed and developed, in accordance with the result

of midterm evaluation.

Mid-August: project plan will be developed and be submitted

to MAFF

September: funding procedure, official demand, budget, etc.

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - review process

• Internal review conducted by Dr Moro Buri from Soil

Research Institute in Kumasi, Ghana

• Dr Buri has long experience with Sawah System

Development, collaboration with Japanese partners

(JICA, Prof Wakatsuki)

• Dr Buri visited AfricaRice and discussed with

scientists, collaborators and visited the research and

development sites

• Internal review document presented to MAFF on April 17

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - review process

Some of the major findings:

• Research has made considerable progress but not

everywhere.

• New research should be on on-farm experiments, site-

specific options needs to be explored and focus on soil

fertility improvement with locally available and affordable

materials

• Development activities are far behind on schedule and must

be pushed in order to research the expected outputs (EO) of

the project.

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - review process

Some of the recommendations (regarding development):

• Move as soon as possible into the field (before the start of

the rainy season

• Care-taker development officer(s) need to be engaged to

lead the execution and supervision of field operations

• Organization (group formation) and sensitizations of rice

farmers

• Land tenancy arrangements by farmers

• New powertillers are required soon

• Deeper involvement of extension staff in field activities

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - review process

Immediate actions taken:

1.Dr Worou Soklou (Togo) hired as consultant to work fulltime

on Sawah System Development. Target: 20 ha by end of

August.

2.New powertillers will be ordered in June.

3.Better balance between research and development.

Researcher water management will no longer be recruited for

SMART-IV project and two research assistants or consultants

will be recruited to assist in development.

Mission to Liberia and Sierra Leone, 29 Nov – 7 Dec

SMART-IV Project - budget

Total annual budgets:

Year 1: 621 k$

Year 2: 661 k$

Year 3: 635 k$

Year 4: 600 k$ (confirmed, economic crisis + Tsunami)

Year 5: t.b.d.

New contracts (IWMI, CBF, ITRA) will be prepared in July with

slightly lower budgets.

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - capacity building

Capacity building - PhD student (financed by SMART-IV)

Alexandre Danvi

University of Bonn – Geography Institute

Prof. Diekkrüger / Dr. Simone Giertz

Strong experience in Benin and hydrological modeling through

IMPETUS project

Topic: sawah system interactions and effect of agricultural

intensification on water quantity and water quality

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - capacity building

Capacity building - PhD students

WASCAL project from Germany: focuses on hydrology, land

use and climate. Sets up 5 research schools in West-Africa:

• Hydrology & Climate change (Benin, Uni Abomey-Calavi)

• Land Use & Climate Change (Ghana, KNUST)

Maurice Ahouansou (Benin) & Maléki Badjana (Togo)

Hydrological modeling of water availability for rice-based

systems in inland valleys under climate change

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - capacity building

Capacity building - MSc students

Maurice Mondegnon, Benin, University of Parakou (water

management, sawah) – Finishes June 2012

Andre Kindjinou, Benin, University of Abomey-Calavi (inland

valley mapping, agricultural intensity) – January 2012

Bjorn Nikolaus, Germany, University of Kiel (hydrological

modeling) – March 2012

Gertrude Tognite, Benin, University of Rennes (soil

fertility, sawah) – March 2012

SMART-IV project meeting, Lomé, January 17

SMART-IV - capacity building

Capacity building – field technicians

Successful Sawah System Development training held in

Kumasi for ten field technicians who will develop sawah in and

demonstration sites in Benin and Togo.

(November/December 2011 – Abe, Dembélé & Wakatsuki)

Capacity building – farmers

On the job training of Sawah System Development:

7 farmers in Ouinhi, several in Bamé, more in other sites