Enhancing Smallholder Wheat Productivity through Sustainable Intensification in Wheat-based Farming Systems of Rwanda and Zambia (SWPSI): Progress Report 23rd May 2016 – 31st December 2016

Abstract

In most sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries, domestic wheat production is by far less than its consumption level. The disparity between growth in wheat consumption and domestic production is increasing over years. As wheat consumption outweighs domestic production, the only mechanism to fill the gap is through wheat imports that costs the region Billions of Dollar every year. On average, wheat import of the SSA constitutes up to 42% of the imports on agricultural products. Some of the countries in the region have a good potential for wheat production both in terms of suitable agro-ecology and land area. However, wheat production is not catching up to the level it has been expected. These days, there are some initiatives in wheat research and development to support smallholder based domestic wheat production to enhance food security and reduce wheat import bills. The “Enhancing Smallholder Wheat Productivity through Sustainable Intensification in Wheat-based Farming Systems of Rwanda and Zambia (SWPSI)” project is one of these initiatives supporting research on smallholder wheat production in Africa. The project is financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in collaboration with three other partners, namely: Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), and Centre for Co-ordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA). The main focus of this research project is to develop a proof of concept that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa could competitively produce wheat and support their domestic consumption and eventually help their nation in reducing wheat import bills. The project assesses the wheat value chain to identify major production and marketing costs and associated constraints along the value chain that potentially impede the growth in domestic wheat production and productivity. In addition, the project also undertakes wheat yield gap assessment under smallholder farming to figure-out key constraints in attaining the productivity potential in smallholder wheat production system. Breeding proper wheat varieties that could perform best in the identified agroecologies in both target countries are also conducted. The breeding work includes both the introduction of new germplasm for adaptability test and also do selection on disease resistant traits. The SWPSI project agreement was signed between IFAD and CIMMYT on 23rd May 2016 and subsequent sub-grant agreements between CIMMYT and the national and regional project implementing partners (RAB, ZARI and CCARDESA) were also signed in August 2016. Project launching workshop was conducted on the 17th June 2016 in Kigali at the presence of delegates from the implementing partners (RAB, ZARI and CCARDESA). Site selection for the agronomic experiments and socioeconomic research were done in both target countries in close collaboration between staffs from CIMMT and national implementing partners (RAB and ZARI). In Rwanda, the first season on-farm agronomic trial was established and baseline household and plot level production and marketing survey was also conducted. As the wheat cropping season in Zambia starts at early January, there was not much field activities done in Zambia during this reporting period. This technical report covers the period from 23rd May 2016 to 31st December 2016 (the first six months of the project). Highlights of activities implemented during this period and planned activities for the months to come are presented in the report.