6 Casimiraitchedji Pics

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institut international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage Project Activities


Outline

• Background • Project Vision • Project Approach

– Trainings – Sensitization – Demonstrations – Open the bags ceremonies

• PICS project Activities – Nigeria as example


Cowpeas are very susceptible to post harvest storage damage


Price of Cowpea per Period

October/November May/June


Price of Cowpea and Quality


The Solution with PICS

• Hermetic storage has been proven to be very effective - PICS triple bags are currently an available and cost effective option

• Farmers will use the PICS storage bags for cowpea when: – They know how the technology works and

how to use the triple bags (demonstrations) – They can obtain the triple layer PICS bags

for storage (network for selling PICS bags)


Specifications of the Bags (Polyethylene high density)

• Inside Bags – 2 bags PEHD 70 X 137

cm X 80 µ • Outside Bag

– Woven Bag 70 X 135 cm for 100 kg of cowpea printed on 2 sides with PICS logos and logos of partners


PICS Project Vision

• To have 50% of cowpea in West and Central Africa stored with non-chemical hermetic methods by 2012


PICS Approach

• PICS is a Purdue University (USA) and its partners project funded by BMGF

• It is a five years project (2007-2012) that will cover 10 African countries and 28000 villages

• Pilot phase started in 2007 in Niger and Burkina Faso (see maps)


2007

100

100


2008

5109

3000 100


2009

10,000

2000

1000

943


10 Countries 28,000 Villages

5 Years (2007 – 2012)

2724

5209

10,000

2000

1451

1500 1951

2000

1000

943


PICS Approach

• Project has 3 main components: – The technology dissemination (inform about the

technology) – Bags Value chain development (ensure availability of

bags in communities) – Research on effectiveness of bags, diffusion methods

and impact (effectiveness of approach)

• In each country, 2 years of active interventions then follow up – Year 1: Trainings, Demonstrations and bags sourcing – Year 2: Focus on bags availability and surveys


Picture of the bags


Presenting the PICS bag to a village chief and other notables in Bunkure (Kano state)



Posters in English, French, Hausa, More and Bambara (so far) for merchants shops and extension offices – technicians have also fiche technique and training manual


Demonstrations in villages with men and women farmers In Kano, Nigeria







PICS/IITA female technician during a demonstration in Kwa village (Kano state)





Average Attendance per demonstration in each state


Attendance at village Demonstrations in each state in 2008


PICS Partners

• Lead partners per country: – IITA: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cameroon. – World Vision: Niger, Mali, Ghana and Senegal – INERA: Burkina Faso – Ministry of Agriculture: Chad? (details are still being

worked out)

• Many other partners in each country (extension services, NGOs, research institutions, Local governments etc…)

• In addition, each country has a business consultant in charge of bags value chain development

• Research is handled by NARS (INERA, INRAN, IER, BUK etc…, IITA and Purdue University).


DISTRIBUTION OF BAGS in Nigeria in 2009/10

• PICS bags are produced in Kano by a company – Lela Agro that was already producing bags.

• 1 major dealer in each state (and Abuja) with his/her own network for distribution

• Each extension agent will also have some bags for sale

• Also Dealers are asked to attend demonstrations (through representatives) and their names and contacts are announced after the sessions.

• The producing company (Lela Agro) is doing radio advertisements for the bags with names of each delaer per state.



Research Components

• Effectiveness of storage in farmers’ conditions

– Quality indicators (Germination rates, holes)

• Is PICS approach effective in disseminating technology (Role of radio messages and other information channels)

• Impact assessment in year 3 and 5 in all countries


Activities for 2009/10 in Nigeria

• Explore and formalize partnerships (Progreen, ADPs, WDI, other IITA projects).

• Conduct field technicians training for 1000 EAs – Additional women technicians selected and trained to meet gender targets

• Awareness campaign (Radio and visits to communities) • Conduct demonstrations in 10000 villages in 20 states – Demonstrations have just started and will continue until January 2010

• Follow up visits • Open the bags ceremonies • Collect data according to forms for Monitoring and evaluation


Lessons from pilot phase (2008) in Nigeria


6 Casimiraitchedji Pics

Technology

pics approach pics

pics approach project

pics project vision

bags availability

effectiveness of bags

triple layer pics bags

pics logos

bags pehd