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Construction of village mill for palm oil production in West Africa
Smallholder Production and Rural Development
Supporting smallholder production in outgrower schemes
HVA International has
developed and supported smallholder production since the 1970s and 1980s when it
established and managed outgrower production schemes as part of integrated
agro-industrial sugar, tea and oil palm projects in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tanzania
and Brazil. Typically, organisations were set up within these projects to
collect the primary product from outgrowers and to provide agricultural services
such as extension, credit for inputs and mechanisation. Up to date, technical
assistance to smallholder production of commodity crops, other crops and
livestock products has continued to be an important activity of HVA
International in the framework of integrated agro-industrial projects. Examples
of typical projects are presented below.
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Improving the milk collection schemes at Lembang
and Mojosongo in Indonesia (2002 - 2008, financed by Senter Agency of the
Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and PT Frisian Flag Indonesia)
Improving the milk collection and chilling facilities at the
cooperatives and training the farmers and employees in the clean milk
production and handling. At both cooperatives Extension Workers were trained
and a milk payment system based on both chemical and bacteriological quality
were introduced. At the end of both projects the smallholder dairy farmers
received a substantial better milk price because of the better quality. |
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Strengthening the Dairy Sector in Georgia (1999 - 2004, financed by Senter, Agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Economic
Affairs).
Introduction of modern dairy farming and processing technology, through
development of an integrated co-operative dairy farm/milk processing unit, and
establishment of a training/extension centre to support the development of
small scale market-oriented dairy farming in the region. The milk processing
plant will process milk produced by the co-operative farm and collected from
smallholders. |
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Mambilla tea integrated development program, Nigeria
(1993-1998, financed by EU)
Technical assistance
for an integrated tea project, including rehabilitation/expansion of a tea
estate, tea factory and outgrower scheme. Assistance to smallholder tea
farmers in the area include providing planting material, land development and
extension. |
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Tea
rehabilitation, Uganda (studies and implementation between 1985-1990, financed
by WB and EU)
Nation wide survey for the rehabilitation of the
outgrowers tea sector (EU) and subsequently conducting a study for the
rehabilitation of the entire tea sector, including, estates, outgrowers, rural
infrastructure and marketing (WB). As a follow up of these studies HVA
International participated in the implementation of the rehabilitation.
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Cukra Hill/El
Castillo palm oil projects, Nicaragua (1983-1992, financed by EU)
Implementation of two integrated oil palm projects
(nucleus estates with smallholder outgrower schemes). Assistance to
smallholders included setting up an extension system and construction of
housing. |
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Mtibwa and
Kilombero sugar estates, Tanzania (1975-1991, financed by DGIS)
Technical assistance to two major integrated sugar
estates in (Mtibwa and Kilombero) with associated outgrower schemes. Within
the framework of the technical assistance, agricultural services for
smallholder outgrowers were established, including extension, credit, supply
of healthy planting material, mechanisation and harvesting services, and
collection and transport of cane.
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Asutsuare and
Komenda sugar estates, Ghana (1973-1978, financed by World Bank)
Technical assistance to Atsutsuare and Komenda
integrated sugar estates. On both estates about 300 outgrowers were growing
sugar cane on an area of some 4,000 ha. HVA assisted these farmers (0.5 to 50
ha) with the rehabilitation of their farms to increase sugar cane production.
Credit facilities for inputs and assistance for mecanised operations were
granted to farmers.
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Projects focussed on promoting private market-oriented small-medium scale
farming
HVA International also
implements projects that are primarily focussed on developing market oriented
smallholder and medium scale farming. A successful approach in this respect has
proved to be the establishment of full-service produce collection centres,
combining collection and quality control with providing agricultural services.
In countries with under-developed agricultural production chains, such
full-service collection centres provide the, often missing, link between farmers
and processors or markets, giving farmers the incentive to increase production
and improve quality. Examples of such projects are highlighted below.
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Dairy development project, Vietnam (1995 - 2007,
privately financed)
Development of smallholder dairy farming to meet the demand of
a new dairy plant through establishment of a full-service milk collection
scheme, that supports farmers with training, extension artificial insemination
services and access to credit.
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Oil palm production co-operatives, Benin (1992-1993,
1996-1997, financed by World Bank)
Further to an agricultural and socio-economic evaluation of
options to privatise smallholder oil palm co-operatives (1992-1993), technical
assistance was provided to the co-operatives to take over the exploitation of
palm oil plantations. Assistance included preparation and implementation of a
detailed replanting and extension programme, training of technical staff and
implementation of organisational changes. |
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Development
La Meseta Region (1989-1997, financed by EU)
Diversification and intensification of agricultural
and horticultural production, including setting up farm produce collection
centres and agro-processing units. Smallholder producer organisations,
established around the collection centres, developed into marketing
co-operatives that successfully started exporting fresh produce to EU and US
markets. |
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Mini palm oil mills, Mano River Union (1991-1993,
financed by African Development Bank)
Design, construction
and installation of 10 mini palm oil mills (100-150kg/h), using locally
available materials and construction facilities, including training of
villagers in operating the mills and assisting them in organising the mill
operations and with marketing of the final product. |
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Agricultural Development Project Moyeamba, Sierra Leone
(1978-1981, financed by DGIS).
The project started
with a feasibility study for 800 ha upland farming for the cultivation of dark
fire-cured tobacco in rotation with maize and vegetables. Based on this study
demonstration farms were established. Technical assistance further included
establishment of agricultural extension services, organisation of field
research, selection and multiplication of seeds, nutrient requirements for
crops, supply of agricultural input and equipment, construction of workshops,
financial control and marketing.
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Integrated rural development projects
Building on its long
standing experience in land development and in establishing rural infrastructure
and irrigation systems, HVA International has carried several integrated rural
development projects, including:
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Bazega natural
resource management, Burkina Faso (ongoing since 1997, financed by African
Development Bank)
Implementation of
rural development project focussed on soil conservation (erosion control),
land development of flats (bas-fonds),
soil improvement (improvement of utilisation of animal manure), supporting
social forestry and establishment of rural and social infrastructure. |
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Gash Delta
project, Sudan (1987-1995, financed by DGIS)
Technical assistance
for developing practical solutions to control and monitor irrigation at field
level, supporting on-farm agronomic research and extension and for introducing
social forestry and sustainable natural forest management practices. |
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Yala swamp
integrated development study, Kenya (1980-1982, financed by DGIS)
Land development study
for reclamation of the Yala swamp and surrounding uplands, including an
gravity irrigation scheme for smallholder farmers. |
For More Information Contact:
HVA International
Paasheuvelweg 28, 1105 BJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
P.O. Box 12204, 1100 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-3116000
FAX: +31-20-6969599
Email: office@hvainternational.nl
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