And yet, the population engaged in agriculture in Burkina Faso consists largely of smallholder producers (75%). As a result, only 25% of farmers are deemed to have the means to acquire a tractor to mechanize farming operations in order to modernize the agricultural sector and address the issues of productivity and labour shortage, as well as the need to plough at the right time to keep up with the crop calendar.
- PARI believes that research and innovation initiatives in African agriculture have been successful, considering the concept of Integrated Agricultural Research for development (IAR4D) promoted by FARA.
- PARI supports agricultural research in scaling up agricultural innovations in Africa and thus contributes to the development of the agriculture sector. PARI is jointly implemented with Green Innovation Centres and soil protection and rehabilitation projects under the “One World No Hunger” initiative.
- It is within this overall framework of implementation of the activities of the said partnership that INERA is empowered in Burkina Faso to contribute to the achievement of a number of objectives, including, for 2017, conducting a study of the socio-economic impact of the Banfora milk innovation platform (IP) on stakeholders of the value chain and determining future investment needs for greater impact and sustainability.
- The results show that the milk collection system works relatively well and ensures supply of 2,100 litres and 700 litres of milk per day in times of high and low production respectively on the entire network of collection points to three fast growing mini-dairies.
- IP gives member breeders an additional monetary gain of CFAF 20,500/year compared to non-IP members. However, production is negatively impacted by IP membership because cows are stabled while complementation is still low.
- The establishment of a mechanism to allow access to food concentrates (molasses, cottonseed seeds and cottonseed cake, corn bran, etc.) represents a major lever for improving milk production in the dry season. Further, the development of fodder production with quality species adapted to the area would also be a major asset to be explored by IP to develop milk production.
- Rations must be developed to allow farmers to participate with an assurance of profitability. One of the challenges to be addressed is improving the detection rate of zoonosis (tuberculosis and brucellosis) among milking cows to protect consumers.
- Despite a lack of interest in the use of this technology in the year 2012 in certain regions of Togo, the technology has truly taken root in the savannah region which still accounts for about 89% of the national team.
- Thanks to the training courses administered by the CARTO center and the follow-up of trainees, animal traction has led to changes in respect of the cropping pattern, the practice of sowing on-line, the use of improved seeds, chemical fertilizers, and phytosanitary products.
- The practice of harnessed cultivation led to an increase in the size of cultivated areas, a modification of offshore banking: how to legally open an offshore bank account the types of speculation practiced and provided additional income.
This technology, however, faces natural, technical and financial difficulties that limit its adoption. To ensure the development of this technology, strategies leading to the reduction of factors limiting the development of harnessed culture in Togohave been adopted. This involves:
- the creation of new training centers and the revitalization of the former training centers in harnessed culture,
- the creation of breeding centers for draft oxen and the supply of veterinary products for the health monitoring of animals.
- Research into the use of donkeys in animal traction and the transport of crops is a path to explore.
Togo’s production of peanuts is indicated to range from 12,000 tons in 1961 to 9,000 tons in 1962 (LABROUSSE & GODRON, 1965). This variation in national production is still observed today, from 25,972 tons in 2001, to 38,244 tons in 2004, to 26919 tons in 2006, and to 47,369 tons in 2012 (DSID, 2012).
There is often a deficit in peanut consumption in southern Togo. In the southern parts of the country, most crops are used for consumption as fresh peanuts. Peanut production in the Northern regions however produces more peanuts thereby reducing the deficit recorded in the southern sector (Ministry of Rural Development, 2000).