As one of DfID’s first projects to effectively triangulate UK Aid with Chinese South-South cooperation, AgriTT was at the forefront of development innovation. The programme brought together development practice and research expertise from China, the UK and developing countries in Africa and Asia to improve food security through technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
Enhancing agricultural productivity is one of the most effective ways to alleviate rural poverty. This has been demonstrated by China’s agricultural transformation since the 1980s. Technologies and innovations to boost sustainable agriculture, allied with supportive policies and investment, have enhanced food security and increased rural incomes. AgriTT adopted a whole value chain approach to innovation and technology transfer. This means linking producers, markets and consumers, and encouraging added-value services around new technologies.
The programme had three major components:
Output 1: Pilot Development Projects (PDPs):
Pilots were established in low income countries (LICs) to disseminate sustainable agricultural knowledge, technology and management practices, particularly from China. Farmers, extension staff, government and private companies were in involved in adapting the technology to local conditions. The PDPs allowed for adaptation and transfer of Chinese agricultural technologies to partner low-income countries. AgriTT had two PDPs: a £1.36 million project to promote the development of aquaculture production in Malawi; and a £1.03 million project to facilitate cassava development in Uganda.
Both projects took a whole value chain approach: in Malawi the project encompassed fingerling production, feed development, marketing and capacity building of the private sector and public sector and a local university (Bunda College); In Uganda the project sought to increase cassava yields through working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to pilot mechanised production, stimulating the processing of cassava into high quality cassava flour (HQCF) and other products (such as for the brewing industry), and also facilitate value addition by promoting product development through partnerships with, for example, Makerere University. Chinese expertise is located in both Uganda and in Malawi in support of, respectively, the cassava development and the fisheries development projects.
Output 2: Research Challenge Fund (RCF):
Collaborative research projects were implemented to enable trilateral teams of researchers from LICs, China and the UK to research critical technologies from China being tested in a developing country context, value chain innovations, or improvements in knowledge sharing and communication. £2.94 million was invested in eleven research projects, each lasting two years.
Output 3: Knowledge Sharing and Communication:
This component shared innovative solutions to food security challenges across Africa with policy makers and agricultural practitioners. Knowledge sharing was increased through networking and exchange. Platforms were provided to encourage institutes in LICs, China and UK to collaborate and share information on improving food security. A £500,000 budget was allocated to these activities.
Key achievements:
The expected outcome of AgriTT was accelerated technology transfer, particularly from China, to target regions. The programme achieved its outcome through, for example, a total of 11 technologies being adopted in the target areas.
The following achievements were made under Output 1:
In Uganda, mechanised ridged planting and good agricultural practices with cassava planting equipment imported from China resulted in yields three times typical conventional yields. Farmers were trained in agronomy, crop management, processing and business management. Co-investment with an SME in a batch drier cassava drying and processing technology. Two entrepreneurs were selected and given incubation support to produce cassava-based snacks and biscuits. In Malawi, tilapia farmers were trained in making deeper and larger ponds, using higher stocking rates and all-male fingerlings, improved feed and feeding regimes, careful pond management, predation control and record keeping. Extruded-feed production equipment from China was also introduced by the project. Yields for the package of aquaculture technologies and practices have been particularly promising, reaching as much as 6 tonnes per hectare, compared to previous yields of around 1.2 tonnes per hectare.
Under Output 2, eleven research projects (each worth up to £300,000) involving collaboration among researchers and research institutions in China, the UK and LICs were successfully completed. The projects were as follows:
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anagement to Improve Livelihoods of African Farmers (NRI, UK) Transfer of biologically based crop protection technology for soil pest control in vegetable production in Rwanda (CABI, China/UK) Agricultural productivity, market participation and effective value chain development in Uganda: case studies of cattle and maize. (UIBE, Uganda) Innovative financing and rice value chain development in Cambodia, China and Lao PDR: lessons and sharing (CAAS, China) Aquaculture in Africa – unlocking the potential (NRI, UK) Development of low cost diets, optimum feeding strategies and marketing for enhanced tilapia production (LUANAR, Malawi) Application of Mobile Internet Technology for Agricultural Information Dissemination in Cambodia (FECC, China) Supporting the AgriTT Pilot Development Project on Cassava Value Chain Development: lessons from China (NRI, UK) Ento-Prise: Commercial Scale Insect-Based Transformation of Organic Wastes To Benefit Smallholder Farmers In Ghana (University of Stirling, UK) Optimising Mushroom Spawn Production in Uganda (Institute for Food Research, UK) Evaluation of Breed Composition, Productivity and Fitness for Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Emerging Dairy Regions of Tanzania (ILRI, Kenya)
AgriTT supported a range of knowledge sharing and communication activities under Output 3, these included two technology transfer conferences, dissemination of RCF findings at the Africa Agriculture Science Week organised by FARA in Rwanda, and a final conference attended by donor partners interested in the experience of trilateral cooperation. A session was facilitated at the World Congress on Root Crops and Tubers on facilitating technology transfer to develop cassava value chains in developing countries.
AgriTT developed a range of knowledge products including an achievements brochure, 20 policy briefings in both Chinese and English, and an independent lesson learning review of AgriTT lessons and achievements as a trilateral technology transfer project. A video on aquaculture in Africa was also produced.