agrl_innovations_in_ssa.pdf?utm_content=buffercb41d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The annual national harvest has been growing steadily and in 2010 the largest maize crop
in recorded history was harvested. This was attributed to a range of factors including the
Governments’ fertiliser subsidy programme, good rainfall and increased maize prices together
with adoption of CA practices (Burke et al., 2010).
Unresolved or new challenges. Most farmers who adopt CA technologies do not appear to
apply them on their entire farm and in some cases they revert to old technologies. This is
attributed to the fact that although CA reduces costs and increases yields, it is managementintensive,
for which not all farmers are suited. Some farmers enter promotional campaigns to
receive inputs either free or on credit and when these are no longer available may revert.
Cotton farmers appear to be the largest group of adopters with about 15 percent of those in the
moderate and low rainfall areas using hand basins (Haggblade and Tambo, 2003). Since cotton
demands precise attention to planting date, regular weeding, and careful pest monitoring and
control, cotton farmers tend to constitute a self-selected group of diligent and hard-working
smallholder farmers.
Lessons learned. Some of the key factors identified by CAAZ stakeholders in scaling up CA
include the need to: build strong partnerships, provide and sustain training and communication,
maintain research commitment, ensure the private sector is fully involved in allowing the
market to play its rightful role, assure long-term funding and address policy constraints.
The Zambian case study has indicated the complexity of scaling up CA with many different public,
private and NGO organisations involved (Baudeon et al., 2007). However the emergence of a
national stakeholder platform, the CAAZ has enabled the sharing of experiences, which have
enabled district stakeholder groups to emerge in which extension personnel from Government,
NGOs and ZNFU (CFU) are able to interact. At the same time the increasing involvement of the
private sector as input suppliers, contractors or buyers of produce is helping to ensure that CA
is a profitable undertaking. A significant number of CA activities are building on previous or
ongoing research initiatives. Relatively small additional investments, often with private sector
partners, appear to provide an effective way of putting this research into use.
62 Agricultural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa