Experiences and Challenges in supporting agricultural development - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Experiences and Challenges in supporting agricultural development in the south-western Pacific James Barringer, Will Allen & Dave Leslie Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand Innovation Asia–Pacific Symposium (IAPS), Kathmandu, Nepal, 4–7 May 2009

Outline • Development challenges in the Pacific • Better information – Better Decisions • Fiji Sugar Industry example • Using the Internet • Proposed Pacific Regional Soils Portal • Questions

Context for Pacific Development Challenges • Small countries (population, land area, arable land) • Remote (large internal and external distances to markets) • Small-holder farming (subsistence, product quality) • Land Tenure (customary tenure, absentee landowners) • Alternative income sources (remittances, etc.) • Urban drift and emigration

3.3 billion people ( ≈ 50% world population) Pacific Development Challenges Japan • countries are small and remote Korea (128m) (21m) China Nepal ( 1242m ) (23m) Pakistan (130m) Bangladesh (130m) India Vietnam Philippines Thailand (1028m) (76m) (88m) (60m) Indonesia (206m)

40 million people ( ≈ 0.6% world population) Pacific Development Challenges Hawaii Marshall Islands (0.05m) Kiribati (0.1m) Solomons PNG Samoa (0.48m) (6m) Cook (0.18m) Fiji French Islands (0.86m) Polynesia Vanuatu Niue (0.02m) (0.26m) (0.2m) (0.001m) Tonga (0.1m) New Caledonia (0.24m) Australia (20m) New Zealand (4.1m)

Natural Resource Data Knowledge of soils is (or should be) a consideration in many decisions about land use, farming practices, and will be relevant to many innovations to ensure sustainable use of natural resources.

State of Pacific Soils Knowledge • Existing soil survey reports and maps are often hard to obtain. • Reports written for a more scientific audience rather than land users. • Loss of knowledge through promotion or retirement of soil scientists. � Limited ability to turn scientific data into knowledge useful to a range of users. � Resulting in poorer land use decision- making at many levels.

From Data to Information Need to turn complex data into easily understood information that can facilitate better land-use decision-making – innovations and innovation processes.

Fiji Sugar Industry • 40% agricultural production • 22% GDP • Tenure issues and reduced EU subsidies • 20% decrease in production in recent years • Industry facing rationalisation • 27% growers contribute 55% production • Improve production or alternative livelihoods • BUT extension services under-resourced

Support for Extension • Provide simplified information based on existing soil survey reports. • Initially mainly in the form of look-up tables keyed to soil mapping unit. • 227 soil series (1200 soil mapping units) – 1:50,000 scale soil map.

Soil interpretive table with land and soil attributes significant for crop growth.

Land Use Capability classes with key soil limitations.

Example of crop suitability ratings for soil mapping units. Class 1 means the soil is highly suited to growing a crop, Class 3 means low or marginal suitability and N unsuitable.

Map showing suitability for sugarcane on Viti Levu, Fiji based on the crop suitability ratings as illustrated in previous slide.

Close up of crop suitability map showing suitability for irrigated rice in the vicinity of the Navua river delta, southern coast of Viti Levu, Fiji.

An example of spreadsheet tool for simple calculation of annualized gross margins for crops (currency is Fiji Dollar). Crop: WATERMELON Unit $/Unit Q'ty Value Revenue - annualised Production kg 1 12,000 12,000.00 Total 12,000.00 Costs - annualised Ploughing ha 111.76 3 335.28 Harrowing ha 83.82 2 167.64 Furrowing, Ridging ha 119.68 1 119.68 Interrow cultivation - - - Seed, cutting, seedling kg 10 2 20 Transport - planting - - - Urea - - - Superphosphate 40kg bag 27 5 135 Potash 40kg bag 25 5 125 NPK blend 40kg bag 33 15 495 Poultry manure - - - Trace elements - - - Herbicide litre 8.19 15 122.85 Insecticide/parasiticide litre 7 10 70 Fungicide - - - Harvesting labour person/day 10 30 300 Drying - - - Transport and other - - - Subtotal Inputs Family labour person/day 10 110 1100 Total Costs 2,990.45 Net Returns/ha 9,009.55

Soil Interpretive Manual • Next steps - publish as Soil Interpretive Manual • Training extension officers to use Manual BUT……….. • how do we ensure this manual doesn’t fall into disuse like so many of the previous soil reports? • Can we incorporate elements of learning and knowledge sharing

The Internet ? • The Internet can deliver complex information from a variety of media including data, text, maps and images. BUT… • is this an appropriate information delivery mechanism in the Pacific context

Pacific Internet Penetration % population % increase www.internetworldstats.com/stats6.htm (Dec 2008)

A Pacific Regional Soil Portal To deliver information that is: • easily found/discovered • readily accessible • easy to “use” (understand) • rich in information • foster communities of cooperation • easy to maintain and update (dynamic)

Portal Users • Agricultural extension officers : easy transfer of knowledge between scientist and farmers. • Farmer Groups/Farmers : knowledge of soils, advice on land use options and hazards (erosion, flooding, etc.). • Consultants-Advisors : ready access for non-soils specialists to relevant information.

Closing Comments • Soils information already exists but needs to be more useable and more accessible. • We believe Internet Portals offer an innovative approach to achieving this goal. • Extension Officers primary target group - but portal accessible to anyone with internet access. • Internet Portals – a focal point around which to link people and share knowledge about soils and land use.

Thankyou Questions ?