Plantwise in Africa

development

projects

location DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda date On-going project team Noah Phiri (DRC, Rwanda) Negussie Efa, (Ghana) Florence Chege (Kenya) Martin Kimani (Sierra Leone, Tanzania) Jane Frances Asaba (Uganda)

plantwise in africa

Farming is essential for life. In Africa, a huge number of people rely on what they can grow in order to survive.

so what’s the problem?

Pests and diseases mean that crops suffer and yields are often less than half what they could be. Extension services can’t possibly meet all the wide-ranging information needs of smallholder farmers, and providing timely and relevant advice can significantly improve food security.

what is this project doing?

Plantwise is currently working in 7 countries in Africa. The main activities include: • training plant doctors and establishing plant health clinics in rural locations to provide free advice to farmers • training future plant doctor trainers • developing data management systems and procedures for collating and analysing information from plant clinics • developing farmer-friendly fact sheets for major pest problems • collating other country specific plant health information for the Plantwise knowledge bank (www.plantwise.org)

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

• providing country-specific plant health news and information • supporting complementary extension campaigns based on plant clinic information • strengthening links between stakeholders in the national plant health system

results so far In some countries pilot plant health clinics have run for several years, with farmers, extension workers and other stakeholders reporting positive results. In other countries the first clinics are only just being established.

Additionally, Plantwise is soon extending to further countries.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): 11 clinics are currently run by a university, a private sector organization and an NGO. The team have undertaken plant doctor training to open additional clinics and will teach the newly trained plant doctors to produce pest fact sheets and undertake monitoring and evaluation.

Ghana: The first group of plant doctors is undergoing training, prior to establishing the first 10 clinics.

Kenya: 35 clinics are in operation, with 95 plant doctors trained. Data capture and management systems are being tested, and clinic data will soon be available. And, as the Ministry of Agriculture wishes to establish clinics across the country, the first stakeholder forum has identified roles and responsibilities.

Rwanda: 8 clinics are running, two in each Province. Training on developing pest factsheets has been undertaken at the request of Rwanda’s Agricultural Board. Training future trainers has been conducted, so that further clinics can be established. Monitoring and evaluating clinics, and managing the information are planned, as is the first stakeholder forum.

Sierra Leone: 11 main clinics are in operation, plus over 60 satellite clinics, supported by the national plant protection budget. There is demand for clinics at all 193 Agricultural Business Centres, so training of future trainers is commencing. Training to produce fact sheets and monitoring and evaluation of clinics is planned.

The team are developing materials on plant clinics for inclusion in the university curriculum and a plant health rally on a priority pest will be conducted soon.

Tanzania: Plantwise has been officially launched, and national plans made for establishing the first plant clinics. Locations for 10 clinics have been agreed, and the first group of plant doctors has received initial training.

Uganda: Over 20 clinics are running, several operated by NGOs, and a high profile launch and stakeholder forum has been held. Additional plant doctors are being trained to establish 10 more clinics. Training will be undertaken on fact sheet production and data management. Plans will be made for inclusion of Plantwise in university curricula.

www.plantwise.org partners Ministries of Agriculture (including extension, research and regulatory departments and institutes) Universities Non-governmental organisations Private sector sponsors Department for International Development (DFID)

contact CABI, ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 20 72 24450 F: +254 20 71 22150 E: africa@cabi.org www.cabi.org/africa

ID-PF-MIV-06-12

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)