Concept Notes

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    Cost Benefit Analysis of Ware Potato Stores
    (2022-05-31)
    This technical note covers; The cost benefit analysis of ten ware potato stores in the Elgon region in three districts; five in Kween, three in Kapchorwa and two in Mbale. PNSP in collaboration with farmers constructed the stores under a cost share agreement of 70%:30% of total cost respectively. PNSP therefore, sought to assess the performance, and economic viability of the investment.
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    Community Mobilization for Improved Dietary Diversity in the Elgon Region of Uganda
    (2022-05-31)
    The third objective of PNSP was to empower people with knowledge of family nutrition. In the Elgon region. The project targeted 13000 homes, with the focus being pregnant ladies, breastfeeding mothers, and/or reproductive women of age 15–45. The program adopted a behavior change communication (BCC) approach called Grassroots Food Diversity. A community-based approach and radio were used to share knowledge with the communities. Nutrition champions were identified by religious and cultural leaders and trained to support mobilization for improved dieting and nutrition education. The role of the nutrition champion was to identify nutritional problems, the consequences of the issues, and the actions to be taken to address the nutritional problems. A platform was provided for the nutrition champions to engage with members of the community. They utilized radio shows, did outreach, made use of events, cultural and religious gatherings, and even made home visits. Nutritional messages were on themes of nutrition and agriculture, undernutrition and diseases, dietary diversity, kitchen gardening, and gender in nutrition. 9978 people were reached through events and different social gatherings, while 732 people were visited in their homes. Challenges encountered were difficulties with following up with families and COVID-19, which hampered plans and interactions.
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    The Effect of Fertilizer Combinations on Growth, Yield, and Economics of Potato Production
    (2022-05-31)
    Potato plays a crucial role in Uganda's agriculture, contributing significantly to food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Despite its importance, potato yields in Uganda are notably lower than in neighboring countries, largely attributed to poor soil fertility and limited adoption of modern agricultural technologies. The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), through its REACH and PNSP programs, conducted field research during the 2021 planting season in Uganda's Elgon region. The study aimed to address these challenges by evaluating the effects of various NPK fertilizer combinations and micronutrient applications on potato growth, yield, and economic performance. Results indicated significant yield improvements with optimized fertilizer application strategies, particularly in Kween and Kapchorwa districts, which recorded yields surpassing national averages. Economic analysis revealed that treatments with balanced fertilizer application at appropriate rates resulted in higher net benefits compared to conventional practices. These findings underscore the importance of tailored fertilizer management practices to enhance potato productivity and economic returns in Uganda.
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    2SCALE: Case Studies on Digital Innovation
    (2021-06) Samwel Naimasia; Alhassan Issahaku; Moussa Dionou; Roald Klumpenaar; Gerwin Jansen; Auke Douma
    This Case Study on Digital Innovation aims to capture digital innovation pilots implemented in 2SCALE agribusiness partnerships. The case studies run across all areas of the value chain that can be digitized: from farmer payments, team operations, mass marketing, and low-income consumers. The case studies are meant to inspire people to digitize their agribusiness operations.
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    Soil SMaRT: A Conceptual Framework For Delivering Improved Fertilizers To Smallholder Farmers In Africa
    (IFDC, 2017-10) IFDC
    Fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is low, averaging 16 kilograms (kg) of fertilizer per hectare (ha) of arable land. This does not imply that the average farmer uses 16 kg/ha. In reality, many farmers do not use any fertilizers, while commercial and smallholder farmers that apply fertilizers use much higher rates. While several factors, including accessibility, cost, and lack of output markets, constrain farmers' fertilizer use, a significant problem facing smallholders is the lack of diversity in fertilizer products to address soil-and crop-specific demands. The main fertilizers available to smallholder farmers are what are referred to as "commodity fertilizers," including diammonium phosphate (DAP), urea, calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), 15:15:15 or similar NPKs, and occasionally NPKS products such as 10:20:10+65 or 23:21:0+4S. In many African countries, farmers can access only two or three commodity fertilizers, making it challenging to address crop-specific demands or secondary and micronutrient deficiencies. Lime products are often not available and seldom used when they are. In some cases, fertilizers are unavailable at the appropriate time due to logistical and procurement problems, resulting in late application. As a result, fertilizer use efficiencies are less than half of what is achieved in agriculturally developed countries. Poor response and high costs discourage fertilizer use. Relative to much of the world, African soils are poor, with most not being enriched by recent geological activity such as glaciation, volcanic processes, mountain outwash, or acid rain, which until recently provided considerable quantities of S in industrialized countries. As a result, NPK fertilizers do not address the suite of nutrient deficiencies present and, while they usually improve yields, do not result in optimal nutrient response. Vast tracts of secondary and micronutrient deficiencies (primarily sulfur [S], zinc (Zn), and boron [B]) and soil acidity constraints have been identified through various mapping initiatives, and superior responses to balanced fertilizers that supplement NPKs with appropriate secondary and micronutrients have been observed in several countries. Fertilizer blending companies, primarily serving commercial farmers, exist throughout the continent. Still, their products are only available to some smallholders, who often are impeded by cost considerations, lack of awareness and access, and subsidies on commodity fertilizers, which are persuasive in farmer purchasing decisions. A few commercially available balanced fertilizer compounds exist, but these are generally not targeted to soils or the food crops grown by smallholders. Delivering balanced fertilizers to smallholder farmers is a high development priority. A better fertilizer response is necessary to improve stagnant productivity (yield per hectare) and address human nutrition and farm income objectives.