Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)

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A field day was organized at Ana Sora District’s Erba Buliyo and Raya Boda Kebeles’ Farmers’ Training Centers (FTCs), Farmers’ Learning Production Clusters (FLPCs) and individual farmers demonstrations that shows integrated and diversified farming systems. The SAA Ethiopia jointly with The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) Ethiopia established FLPCs in Turge Gallo Kebele, Negele Arsi District, and in both kebeles of Ana Sora District by engaging 157 farmers covering 74 ha and aimed at promoting regenerative agriculture and reducing the challenges of mono-cropping.

SAA considers the mainstreaming of Regenerative Agriculture (RA) as an important pillar of its Strategic Plan (2021-2025). Environmentally, RA seeks to increase soil fertility by increasing soil microorganisms and sequestering carbon dioxide, so as to improve the physical structure of soils, increase water retention capacity, and reduce soil erosion and topsoil dispersal caused by strong winds. Taking into consideration the various factors surrounding rural Africa, SAA aims to establish sustainable and robust agriculture which could address global environmental issues such as drought and soil degradation by combining CA (minimum tillage, mulching, crop diversification) and ISFM. This approach restores soil fertility while optimizing the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and improves the agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers. It also helps reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emitted from agricultural land, ultimately helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. We are thrilled to share our latest documentary titled, “Regenerative Agriculture for Improved Soil Health and Agricultural Productivity”, enjoy watching it!! https://lnkd.in/eC8apEr7

It is an exciting news to inform you that the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) will participate in the grand opening, exhibition and panel discussion of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Week 2024. Don’t miss this important event to learn more about SAA, save the date (Dec 6-8)

The Regenerative Agriculture (RA) team of the Sasakawa Africa Assocuation (SAA) Ethiopia organized cross-district experience sharing visit to Ana Sora Farmers’ Training Center (FTCs), Farmers’ Learning Production Clusters (FLPCs) and host farmers’ demonstrations and practices. The occasion brings farmers, extension professionals/agents, agronomists, office heads and other key actors from Negele Arsi and Angacha Districts as well as focal persons from Oromia and Central Ethiopia regions including West Arsi and Kembata Zones. The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) project staff also attended to share experiences to Meko Oda & Gorbi Derara Kebeles (Negele Arsi) and Aldaada Deela & Qorangoge Kebeles (Boricha District). The host district farmers/FLPCs explained their experiences to the field visit participants. Visitors impressed with what they saw and witnessed that the interventions showed exemplary performances and learned a lot that they can apply at their farming systems. The RA staff, who have been supporting these farmers for the past 4/5 years were shaping the cross-learning process regarding the scientific and technical advises. Finally, a wrap-up discussion conducted focusing on scaling the best practices and work on sustainability.

With the financial support obtained from Food and Land Use Coalation (FOLU), Sasakawa Africa Association SAA in collaboration with the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and its line offices at Guji zone and Ana Sora District SAA has piloted scaling of RA practices and technologies. Farmers’ Production Cluster (FPC) project approach of the MoA/ ATI was adopted by augumenting the approach with RA technologies and practices. It is envisaged that this pilot scaling initiative will be a learning ground to put the FPC approach, often criticized for promoting monocropping heavy reliance on external inputs, on a regenerative path. Hence, this pilot scaling initiative was named as Farmers’ Learning Production Clusters (FLPCs). The initiative was established on a cost-sharing basis, where SAA supports improved seeds and biofertilizer for legumes, and farmers contribute other inputs such as in-organic/organic fertilizers, agro-chemicals, labor and other costs. The FLPC project is established at Negele Arsi and Ana Sora Districts of Oromia Region during the current (2024) main cropping season. The Negele-Arsi FLPC was established by 50 farmers demonstrated wheat on ~12.5 ha in Turge Gallo Kebele, to be rotated with haricot beans in the coming short rainy season. In Ana-Sora FLPC, 107 farmers across 61.77 ha are cultivating wheat, barley and faba bean in Raya Boda and Erba Buliyo Kebeles. https://lnkd.in/eTSC8gMZ

In #BeninRepublic our team has completed the installation of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) for dry season rice cultivation under the PHRDG-2 project. This activity is part of the Evidence-Based Regenerative Agriculture to Address Climate Change in Africa Project, which is funded by Japan's Policy and Human Resource Development Grant (PHRDG-2) through the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The installation of the e Kakashi and GHG chambers is currently underway. #AWD was conducted in five communities: Koussin, Agoita, Lele, Tangbedji, and Tchi Ahomadegbe/Lalo, with participation from a total of 10 extension agents (EAs), lead farmers (LFs), and 107 rice farmers. The project is being implemented by #SAA in collaboration with partners International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation, CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative, and SoftBank Group Corp. #water #agriculture #RICEFARMING #irrigationsystem #beninrepublic #ClimateAction #farming #Resilient #LandPreparation #plantingtips #preplanting #plants #spacing #alternativewettingdryingsystem #SAA #WaterConservationTips #CHG #AWD #DRYSEASON Dr. Godwin AtserMel Oluoch Moses Nongoatse BSc, MPR Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Albert Taru Ephraim Adams Stella Kabiri African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) AGRA Mastercard Foundation World Food Programme

#Nigeria Yesterday, the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project #KSADP-Project Management Unit and our Nigeria Country office received in the field the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Independent Country Engagement Evaluation Mission team from Jeddah. Notable stops were Kura and Garun Mallam Local Government Areas, where the project through #SAA has empowered rice farmers with combined harvesters at work during the visit. At 6kg/second and a combined harvesting time of 40 minutes per hectare, the intervention is making a visible difference by reducing drudgery and tackling post-harvest losses suffered by rice farmers in the state. #agriculture #farming #FoodSecurity #mechanization #Farmmachinery #nigeria #drudgery #combineharvester #postharvest #PostHarvestSolutions #postharvestlossreduction #foodprocessing #RICEFARMING #IsDB #llf #kanostate #CommunityEmpowerment #Grainsmart #SAA #AfricaFarming Godwin Atser Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Islamic Relief Worldwide Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity Qatar Foundation AGRA Kaduna Consortium AGRA Niger Consortium AGRA Heifer Nigeria Heifer International African Development Bank Group African Union World Food Programme International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)

The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and its country programs which used to be called Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000) work in close collaboration with national agricultural extension services in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda to support smallholder farmers along the agricultural value chain. SAA aims to increase farmers’ income and food and nutrition security through promoting market-oriented, sustainable, resilient, and regenerative and nutrition-sensitive agricultural innovations and building the capacity of Extension Agents and farmers. ”Walking with the Farmer” SAA’s new slogan, "Walking with the Farmer", represents the organization’s vision and ethos. Since the early stages of its establishment, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture in respective host countries, SAA has set up country offices staffed by local residents with a high level of agricultural expertise and deep understanding of local context, in order to promote need-based Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and improved technologies in rural communities. SAA is committed to working with smallholder farmers by adopting a participatory approach that provides need-based feedback to farmers and value chain actors to establish technologies and fruitful market linkages that address the specific concerns of farmers. This participatory approach embodies SAA’s spirit of walking with the farmer. We would like to share with you our latest documentary, enjoy watching!! https://lnkd.in/eHizFbpq

The current status of a wheat seed production/multiplication site being demonstrated by seed producing farmers in Taguba Meskel Kebele of Meket District. The “Fikre Selam” seed production group is established by the Ethiopia office of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) with the aim of ensuring the availability of improved wheat seed for smallholder farmers in such geographies.