An Overview Of Our Solution
No abstract.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Africa
General Information
Organization type
Coopérative
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Grasslands
Population impacted
300 people
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
10 hectares
Production quantity
21,000 kilos
People employed
15 people
Solution
Describe your solution
This solution has help in promoting cordial relationship between farmers and herdsmen in our community, due to the role we played in trying to form an association so of that the leaders meets from time to time if need arises to discuss and offer solutions to our problems.
Large number of herdsmen find it difficult to take water from flowing water directly now because of the increase in awareness created and interaction with our farm.
The practice of using manure for fertilization is helping in no small measure in revitalizing the strength of our soils thus ensuring a sustainable yield, as manure slowly release it nutrients.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
Working with extension workers & our local government we understood that continuous use of inorganic fertilizer only has some adverse effect on the environment. Therefore our cattle rearing is used as a source of organic fertilizer for our farm and our immediate neighbors. By so doing we were able to educate others on the importance of the use of organic manure for their crop cultivation to stabilize the eco-system, cut down on the use of inorganic fertilizer. With the use of organic fertilizer the volume of herbicides and pesticides decreased, for example in our farm before we started intensive us of organic fertilizer we normally apply high doses of agro-chemical. In fact for this because the demand for cow dung is becoming competitive coupled with scarcity and cost of mineral fertilizer. Our solution is adopted because we do organize an agricultural show during cultivation & harvest. This has even caught the attention of the extension workers and neighboring community were a farm similar to ours is established do not as big as ours but with more modern equipment and management.
The following are some of the enabling conditions were
Availability of a large land for grazing our animal
Use of both Fulani herdsmen and our local people
Provision of water to the community
Collaboration between our farm & health & extension workers from the local government to educate our community
The key success factors were ;
Increase in the number of our cattle
# of community we have affected
Promotion/adoption of the of organic farming
Some of the major obstacle confronting our farm is the issue of criminals invading the farm at night at the onset of the farm, but it has reduced drastically due the good relationship we established with our neighbors & rise in the # of people working on our farm. Secondly few number of veterinary personnel to help in managing health condition of our animals. This problem we do work with veterinariesfrom the state capital.
External connections
We collaborate with Veterinary doctors, extension workers, and health workers. This collaboration has in no small measure help in the development of our farm and the spread of some of the technologies or methods we used in our farm.
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
The target of the farm is geared towards a safe and clean environment with reduction in the use of inorganic fertilizers. How do we achieve this? On our farm and neighboring farms we try to encourage organic farming. This we do by dividing our farm into different sizes were we keep our cattle and other animals overnight and by so doing the cow dung, and other excretes from the animals are used as so of organic fertilizer for our farms and we also occasionally sell it out to others or we allow our animals to stay on nearby farms for so times. With this practices for some years now we have not being using inorganic fertilizer and our yield is very good and even better that some nearby farms that make use of inorganic fertilizer. We have achieved the following with this methods
Reduction in amount of inorganic fertilizer usage, Improve soil structure and composition, Adoption of technique even though animal waste is not available in large quantities
Describe the context in which you are operating
For the fact that we are based in rural area were access to water is a major problem. We were able to construct borehole that provide water for the farm and neighboring communities. This had help in no small major in reducing high cases of cholera especially during dry season and many cases related to consumption of contaminated water. Secondly every year around December to February we organize a king of sensitization to the locals that work with us on the farm and neighboring villages on the importance of hygiene, the importance of taking clean water and they should avoid drinking contaminated river water. So far over the last three years we have held this kind of community gendering for eight (8) times now. Other cattle rearers
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
How did you improve biodiversity and/or positively impact the local environment? Please be specific and include methodology where relevant (1000 characters max.)
Language(s)
English
Water
This is one the major success of the cooperative, the provision of water it has in no small way affected the community positively, increase in the number of settlers around us and people visiting the farm to access and get water. This we achieved by the provision of borehole
Food Security/Nutrition
Food security is also a great success we have brought to this community via the collaboration with the extension and health workers, who during their visit to our farm during our agricultural show sort of program educate us on the importance of taking balance diet, use of the magic plant called Moringa. For this reason we have established a moringa nursery last planning to transplant it to the field now.
Economic/Sustainable Development
This solution is because of the following reasons: 1. We are working with local herdsmen and our local people. 2. We allowed their women to milk the cattle 3. The community are also very supportive because we provide them with water and other things 4. Above all annually we sale of 3 – 5 cows starting from 2014. The cattle have also increased in number.
Climate
We believed that our activity is impacting positively on the environment and with adoption of our method by others, it would go a long way in improving the environment.
Sustainability
Been a market based organization for the sustainability of the society mostly we make use of grazing our animals as major source of feeding during the raining season and during the dry season feed the animals with rice straw, corn and sorghum stalks from our farm and from neighbors. The gains we make from the sales of our animals are also used to make provision for other needs. During the raining season also we make gains from milk we sale to wives of herdsmen that by and sale the milk in local markets. No grant enjoyed from the government except some education enjoyed on how to manage our farm.
Return on investment
So far we have sold about 19 cattle for over a million naira in addition we also sale majorly sheep and goats we have for the running of the farm and gains we made from cereals we grow. Hopefully in the near future we hope to get Friesian for milk production to boast or production and gain.
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Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
It can be replicated because of the following reasons:
1. Because of the people we are working with as stated above, if others can adopt same method it can be repeated.
2. The gains we are making is also very encouraging and also a driving force for this corporative society.
Funding is required in the following ways:
1. Provision of fund to build farm structures, milking parlor, additional exotic cattle and other necessary equipment
The partners veterinary specialist at both state and local government, state ministry of agriculture, extension workers, our neighbors, health workers and other funding governmental and non-governmental organizations