We have supported IDE-UK’s work before , this was a three year project in Ethiopia (more information can be found here) where 150 farmers were given the opportunity to buy irrigation equipment, as a result farmers diversifed the crops farmed to include high value fruit trees. Our funding ended in 2009 and whilst apples are already being grown the crops will increase in the future, when farmers should increase their annual net income by £100 from the sale of surplus produce. Emilie, one of the innocent team is travelling to work with IDE-UK in Ethiopia for two weeks in October 2010, there will be much more on the innocent drinks blog.

We are really pleased to have the chance to work with IDE-UK again as we like the innovative approach they bring to working with farmers. This time in Vietnam

IDE Vietnam has developed and disseminated a new method of applying fertilisers to rice crops with the aim of improving production. They have focused on provinces in North and Central Vietnam for the last 7 years, with significant improvement for rice production for farmers and now want to transfer the programme to Hiep Duc.

Hiep Duc is a poor upland district in Quang Nam, one of the poorest provinces in central Vietnam and IDE feel that their model would really help improve things. 9,000 farming families (41,000 people) live in the district and it is estimated that one third live below poverty line, officially classified by the government as equivalent to two-dollar-a-day.

More than 90% of households in Hiep Duc rely on rice production a primary source of income, but the high costs and low productivity of rice production is seen as one of the key causes of poverty. Our funding will support this project in its aims to introduce and promote the new techniques.

The three year project will span over 6 rice crops and introduce deep placement fertilisers which farmers can hold and place with their hands deep into muddy soil in between rice plants at the beginning of a crop. The fertiliser pellets dissolve quickly and remain in the soil, enough for the whole crop, without the need of top-dressing, which is required in conventional methods of fertiliser application. There is no fertiliser on the surface water therefore not only runoff is eliminated, but also fertiliser evaporation is prevented and weeds are reduced.

It is a great idea because nutrients are in constant supply to plants, the growth is healthier with less plant diseases and pests, resulting in better yields and saving on pesticides.

IDE will establish and build the capacity for a local network to supply fertiliser pellets to meet farmers’ demand generated through rural marketing activities listed above. The pellets will be made locally too. One of the key elements in these activities will be to make sure the supply chain will be profitable to sustain itself without subsidy.

It is aimed that 4,000 rice farming families, will adopt the deep placement fertiliser method and purchase fertiliser pellets for rice production.

Project Update – august 2011

The key activities have been:

• Rural marketing initiatives (to engage target groups such as women and the poor)  including:
• mass marketing activities such as ‘active learning’ sessions with farmers
• targeted marketing activities such as promotion meetings and technical trainings in local hamlets
• Supply Chain Network Development:
• sales promotion campaigns and marketing activity support to help producers build initial customer bases
• loan scheme advice and provision of financial support (transportation costs) in the distribution of FDP
• assisting producers in registering quality standards of fertiliser pellets

Which have led to:

• 404 farmers were reported to adopt FDP for the spring crop 2011 (12% higher than the target of 360 farmers) – 351 were first time users
• 288 of the households to adopt FDP were poor families which is a specific target group of this project
• positive results achieved from the first crop using FDP attracted higher attention among rice farmers and the supply of the FDP product leading to more widespread interest by entrepreneurs participating in the production and distribution of FDP pellet