Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 2.
Continued
During the two stakeholders' consultations, the results of the diagnostic and participatory
and action research (PLAR) activities in the project were combined with the experiences,
goals and aspirations of the major stakeholders in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) to
arrive at a set of research and development orientations.
System
characterization
Rainfed;
Low population density
Rainfed
High population density
Irrigated systems
Clusters
Enchorica, Kiomo
Kionyweni, Kasikeu
Kibwezi, Matuu
Short-term
measures
•
Control livestock numbers
•
Improve animal health care
•
Increase local food
production through water
harvesting, use of manure
and rotation
•
Breeding and using
improved cattle
•
Mono-cropping maize and
dual purpose legumes
•
Application of Rock
Phosphate
•
Efficient nutrient recycling
through crop residues and
manure
•
Maintenance and
management of small-
scale irrigation system
•
Reduce transaction
costs: market
information, physical
infrastructure,
marketing channels,
cooperatives,
micro-finance
Long-term
measures
•
Design of development plan
for livestock-wildlife-tourist
industry
•
Establishment of feedlots for
high intensity beef
production
•
Establishment of manure
processing facilities
•
Infrastructure: feed grains
and processed manure
transport, marketing
infrastructure meat
•
Ecological niche market
development
•
Introduction dairy breeds
•
Import of feed grains from
high potential areas
•
Cultivation of mono-cultures
of maize and grain legumes
•
Cultivation of forage legumes
•
Efficient manure
management
•
Establishment milk
marketing system
•
Infrastructure for transport
feed grains
•
Establishment of
effective production-
marketing chain in
public-private
partnership
•
Development of skills
for all links in chain
(production, quality
control, transport,
marketing)
sustainable agricultural production (Hessel 2002; Ritsema 2003). The nutrients
exported via erosion and runoff negatively affect agricultural production and
surrounding natural and urban environments. EroChinut was launched to address the
topic of soil erosion in part of the Yangtze watershed. Using a combination of
participatory and modeling research the team was able to determine effects of
different land management strategies on water, soil and nutrient losses by erosion at
farm and watershed level and evaluate the economic impacts of the different
strategies. Using the model, the team could, via biophysical optimization, reduce
discharge, soil loss and nutrient losses most effectively. However, this scenario also
showed the strongest negative effect on the economic situation of the area
(EroChinut 2003; Ritsema 2003).
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