12/8/2023 0 Comments Cashew brittleThe team consisted of two social scientists, Jacqueline Vel and Respati Nugrohowardhani, both of whom have ample experience with research and rural development work in Sumba. This study was conducted in September–October 2011, and included a short desk study, four weeks’ field study in Sumba, a stakeholder meeting in Sumba to discuss results, and a final analysis by the research team. Whether biomass from plant material could be a good source of renewable energy in Sumba is the subject of this report. The choice of Sumba was based on the results of a ‘preliminary resource assessment’ concluding that the island possessed strong potential for various types of renewable energy. In November 2010, Hivos initiated a campaign for turning the island of Sumba in the eastern part of Indonesia into ‘an Iconic Island for Renewable Energy’. Strategies to achieve sustainable value chain approach to agricultural transformation through agricultural machinery development were identified to include increased patronage of local fabricators of agricultural machinery, establishment of a sustainable Loan Scheme for stakeholders in the value chain, upgrading of laboratories and workshops in agricultural research institutions, establishment of appropriate standards for machinery, encouragement of the development of processing and marketing clusters and the establishment of machinery hire and leasing services. The paper, therefore, recommends the development of a robust machinery building programme in the country for the achievement of agricultural transformation. Tractors, ploughs, planters, fertilizer spreaders, trucks, fork lift, conveyors, threshers, digesters, packaging machines, etc, are some of the agricultural machinery identified as requirements for agricultural transformation and agricultural value chain development in Nigeria. The current situation in Nigeria is that the operators of the various components of value chain operate without machines, making their operations to be uncompetitive, leading to weak links in the chain. This paper identifies different agricultural development programmes in Nigeria to include Farm Settlement Centre/Scheme, River Basin Development Authority, Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs), Tractor and Equipment Hiring Scheme, National Accelerated Food Production Programme, Operation Feed the Nation, etc. However, the transformation agenda cannot be achieved without agricultural mechanization. The transformation agenda is aimed at making agriculture work for Nigerians, especially rural farmers such that it becomes not just a development programme but also an income generating commercial activity. The initiative is aimed at an overall development of the agricultural sector with focus on value chain development as a strategy towards agriculture revival. A national agriculture transformation agenda tagged Agricultural Transformation Action Plan (ATAP) is currently being implemented in the country. Agricultural development in Nigeria has been pursued under various development plans launched and executed by succeeding governments, yet the sector is currently dominated by peasant farmers using little or no technologies. Agricultural value chain links the steps a product takes from the farmer to the consumer and includes input suppliers, production, processing, marketing and finance. Value chains reside at the core of high-impact and sustainable initiatives focused on improving productivity, competitiveness, entrepreneurship, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The strategy of value addition on agricultural produce provides ample opportunity for wealth creation, revenue generation, employment generation and effective post-harvest management to reduce losses. Value addition is a vital component of the overall strategy for addressing global market competition, post-harvest losses and food security.
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