E-SAPP TO SUPPORT SMALLHOLDER FARMERS COUNTRYWIDE

By HAPPY MULOLANI ACCESS to finance among smallholder farmers in Zambia is one of the key challenges affecting their production levels. However, this situation has presented an opportunity for agriculture programmes with an agribusiness focus to come up with strategies and mechanisms aimed at building capacities and equip smallholder farmers through appropriate linkages with key players and stakeholders. Against this backdrop, an intervention programme Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (E-SAPP) has come up with mechanisms to empower smallholder farmers who have been classified in different categories meant to strengthen their production capacities. E-SAPP is a seven year programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The programme is valued at a total cost of US$29.7 million. The major part of financing is $21.2 million which is an IFAD loan, while the Government of the Republic of Zambia will provide $2million. The core financer for the Platform Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) is US$2million. Whereas, the Indaba of Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) will make available US$0.51million. And the private sector and those partnering will provide US$3.46 towards the implementation of the programme. E-SAPP is a programme under the Ministry of Agriculture, which is also the lead agency and implementing agency. Its overall goal is to increase incomes and food and nutrition security to rural households for market oriented agriculture. In a recent orientation meeting for all provincial and district staff on the Matching Grants Facility (MGF) Operational Manual and Guidelines for Southern and Western provinces held in Livingstone, E-SAPP Programme Coordinator Kwibisa Liywalii says the programme is working to build capacity in 61,000 smallholder farmers in 30 focal districts and 60 focal camps countrywide. Its intended goal is to reach out to 40,000 subsistence smallholder farmers in the commodities of focus. “The programme will partner with Market intermediaries (MSMEs) in order to reach out to 16,000 economically active smallholder farmers. It will also partner with large agribusiness players to reach 5,000 commercially active smallholder farmers”, says Mr. Liywalii. The programme will support smallholder farmers engaged in targeted commodities and these are: legumes includes groundnuts, soya beans, and common beans. Others include: livestock, rice and aquaculture. Mr Liywalii urged agriculture field staff that the success of the programme is dependent on their concerted efforts towards building capacity and supporting smallholder farmers in their business enterprises already outlined. And E-SAPP Agribusiness Manager Emmanuel Mulenga says the programme is a multi commodity programme which involves line ministries where commodities are located. The programme endeavours to also provide interventions tailored towards strengthening cooperative societies, which is being implemented by institutions and service providers. “The Ministry of Agriculture is the lead executing agency and will collaborate with other line ministries such as Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Community Development. This is not conclusive, depending on intervention other key programme can also be brought in. This will be implemented through existing structures”, says Mr. Mulenga. He further explains E-SAPP is an agribusiness programme with the Department of Policy and Planning under the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for the overall coordination of the programme in all the provinces through the provincial office which falls under the Provincial Agricultural Coordinator and the Planner. These two provincial staff ensure the execution of activities on the ground is spearheaded by agribusiness and marketing at provincial and district levels. It is envisaged that this process of value chain players and key players’ interaction will facilitate access to markets through sustainable partners. In this way, the Department of Policy and Planning will give overall oversight and coordination in achieving the programmes goals. He adds that E-SAPP will be achieved through two technical components. First, the environment needs to be enabling for the development and growth for agribusiness. This component will be handled by IAPRI who will deal with agriculture policy development to analyse appropriate policies. For example, IAPRI will play a key role in reviewing both old and new various acts and policy documents. This will ensure agribusiness is properly facilitated and implemented by various stakeholders and various actors. Second, the provision of institutional strengthening for agribusiness intervention. This will entail facilitating smallholder farmers increasing their volumes and having access to markets. This will be done through strategic linkages of graduating subsistence farmers. E-SAPP’s inception and its key intervention areas among smallholder farmers has elated key stakeholders, line ministries, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries which will work closely with implementing and executing the programme’s objectives. Southern Province Provincial Agricultural Coordinator Max Choombe says the programme fits well with the ministry’s mandate of agro promotion and business. Dr Choombe advised extension field staff to own the programme and focus on improving farmers livelihoods through capacity building. He further noted that the programme goals will improve farmers’ status given that the majority of farmers in the province are at subsistence level. This implies that the involvement of the programme in agribusiness will trigger increased production of smallholder farmer’s enterprises. Dr Choombe also pointed out that E-SAPP was building on the predecessor programme Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (SAPP) in building capacities in smallholder farmers and strengthening linkages to enable smallholders attain increased food security, nutrition and incomes, which is also in line with the Ministry’s mandate of promoting food security and increased incomes. While, Provincial Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator Charles Lwanga explains that the programme objectives and goals need to be adhered to effectively implement the programme. “It is also important to have mechanisms that will promote self-sustainability for the sake of continuity once the programme phases out”, says Mr. Lwanga. This is on premised on the understanding that many intervention programmes initiated in the past to support smallholder farmers often become white elephants when they phase out. It is hoped once the programme ends with the amount of work and efforts invested in smallholder farmers; it will be sustainable and ensure mechanisms to assure self-sustenance. The progamme appreciates the concerns raised over sustainability given that there have been arguments on many programmes being pro-poor. But, E-SAPP Knowledge Management Officer Mwila Kayula believes that with all the funds pumped in building capacity and empowering smallholders, the programme will set a benchmark to farmers to be self-sustainable once it phases out. E-SAPP’s approach is unique in that they are promoting strategies in order for farmers to develop business acumen in their enterprises. Ultimately, this will inculcate an entrepreneurial culture to enable farmers graduate from farming as a business schools which is meant to impart and equip farmers with business knowledge. Such trainings and capacity building will trigger increased agriculture and livestock production in the province thereby contributing to food security and increased income.