Since 2014, PIFON has been working with its farmer organization members to pilot new approaches to value chain training for farmers and other stakeholders that lead to real impacts.
Under an IFAD funded CTA/PIPSO (Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation), PIFON signed a consultancy contract to document a Lessons Learnt Publication on the Value Chain Training Workshops that the network has conducted since its inception in its member countries under its MTCP II and SPC/PAPP funding. Additionally, this consultancy allowed a video contract detailing the impact of the Value Chain training on the FOs and its farmer members. This new video captures feedback from farmers, farmer organisations, traders and the public sector about how this type of training has impacted them and also what can be done to improve on the approach taken. The full video is available on the web at: http://www.pacificfarmers.com/videos/.
The Lessons Learnt publication is under review presently by CTA for publication, this work has just been completed in this third quarter works for 2017.
The Lessons Learnt Report on the Value Chain Trainings showcases case studies of PIFON’s FO members offering Value Chain training to its members and how through the training, the farmers are now better informed and can better participate in agricultural development in their farms for more efficient and productive results.
The Value Chain trainings were conducted from 2014 to 2016 in Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji with trainings offered by the Secretariat to its member FOs. Capacity building on teaching this VC method using the CTA published manual was also provided to the FO members covering several commodities. The trainings conducted were:
- Value chain training for ginger in Fiji (through Fiji Crop and Livestock Council)
- Value chain training for papaya in Tonga (through Tonga Growers Federation)
- Value chain training for vanilla in Tonga (through MORDI trust)
- Value chain training for Taro in Fiji (through Teitei Taveuni and Tutu Rural Training Center)
- Value chain training for papaya in Fiji (through Nature’s Way Cooperative)
- Value chain training for off-season vegetable farmers in Fiji (through PCDF)
- Value chain training on spices in Vanuatu (through Farm Support Association and Venui Vanilla)
Technical assistance was given to TTT via value chain training by local consultants. A report on the piloting of the Agricultural Value Chain Guide for the Pacific Islands through PIFON is now available for access via http://www.pacificfarmers.com/publications-2/.
Value chain training was conducted and completed by PIFON with the Spices Network in November 2014. The training involved FSA/Spices Network running a participatory on-farm value chain exercise on the island of Malo with organic pepper farmers and the processor/exporter focusing on the quality requirements and costs of supply of this remunerative, but highly demanding, value added market. This training was exceptionally well received by the participating farmers, an immediate response being realised in terms of the quantity and quality of the pepper being supplied. This activity was co-funded with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s EU funded Pacific Agriculture Policy Programme (PAPP).
-
- Farmer oriented VC Trainings
-
- Mapping the Vanuatu export pepper value chain
-
- PIFON in partnership with its farmer organisation members has conducted numerous farmer-orientated value chain trainings in the region however this will now be extended to policy makers through a partnership with the EU funded FAO FIRST Project.
A series of trainings on papaya production, costs and returns and value chain aspects was conducted in Tonga in April by commercial papaya farmer and FO leader, Livai Tora from Fiji. The trainings were organized and hosted by the Growers Federation of Tonga (GroFed) with funding through the PIFON MTCP 2 programme. Other Tongan national farmer organisations that participated in the training included Hahake Farmer’s Association, Nishi Growers, MORDI and Women in Horticulture Groups.
PIFON member, the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council (FCLC) implemented a Ginger Value Chain training supported by PIFON and with funding through the EU SPC-PAPP project. This training was held on 20th July – 21st July, 2016 at the Coral Coast Christian Camp in Pacific Harbour and included field visits to nearby farms and Kaiming Agro Processing facility. Forty two ginger farmers from the Naitasiri, Rewa, Tailevu and Serua Provinces were invited to participate in this training from where they gained knowledge of the value chain mapping process and got a clear understanding of the stages and the actors that contributed to the ginger value chain in Fiji. Stakeholders also benefited from the opportunity to interact directly with each other (farmers, buyers, exporters, MoA, etc.)
Comments are closed