expanding agriculture and food security activities in ... - part - usaid

DATE: May 15, 2009
PARTICIPANTS: Norwegian People’s Aid ( NPA)- Ezana Getahun, Program Manager
Scott Allen
Ahmed Sidahmed
Meg Brown
PURPOSE: Briefing on NPA’s past and current programs in the Equatoria States.
DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS:
• NPA started operations in Southern Sudan in 1986. Its operations covered 7 States and expanded
from relief and emergency agricultural tools distribution to supporting agriculture extension and
training. It has received funding from USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
• NPA established 22 farmer training centers with curriculum including crop husbandry, ox plow
technology, specialized training in poultry and nutrition, as well as modern farm management ,
marketing and storage
• Activities in CES included micro-project small grants to farmers, in support of the MDTF. NPA
will be embedded in the State Ministry of Agriculture in the future.
• In Eastern and Western Equatoria, NPA is in post-conflict activities focused on agriculture,
livestock and enterprise development. A strong focus on women and on group formation.
Livestock is now more than just health, moving into production and marketing
• NPA has supported its own Training Center in Yei, and does not use the Crop Training Center set
up by USAID. The latter is for more specialized training, while NPA trains boma and payam
extension workers since that is the level at which NPA works.
• NPA has worked with some outreach farmers to multiply seeds as a business
• NPA is leaving Kajo Keji
• There have been challenges trying to add marketing activities to cooperatives, and farmers have
resisted. They believe they should be farmers, not traders.
• Because OFDA funds are not intended for long term development activities, community workers
(CWs) and Training Centers projects are now without support and are not sustainable. The
government can not put the CWs in payroll, particularly with current budget constraints and to
date, these workers have not established viable approaches to being paid by the communities they
serve.
• Possible solutions:
− provide CAHWs starter-kits through 75% pay back revolving fund scheme;
− establish partnership between NPA and the County Agriculture Departments and to
operate through them;
− Find potential entrepreneur to set up ox hire as a business and provide business and
marketing skills, set up business plan and business model and provide start up capital.
− Provide business and management skills to ox plow manufacturing center and provide an
injection of capital to cover the unpaid order that has strapped them for cash to purchase
materials to fill existing orders.
EXPANDING AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHERN SUDAN 74