Outputs of AgriTT programme
AgriTT: Working in Partnership for Agricultural Technology Transfer
Introduction
Working in Partnership for Agricultural Technology Transfer (AgriTT) Programme is an initiative by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), in collaboration with the Chinese Government and the Governments of Malawi and Uganda, and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.
The AgriTT programme facilitated the sharing of successful experience in agricultural development, especially from China, with other developing countries in order to improve agricultural productivity and the food security of poor people. The programme ran from March 2013 until March 2017.
The Outputs
Over the lifetime of the programme, a number of outputs were produced to share lessons from the technology demonstration projects and collaborative research projects supported by AgriTT. These include policy briefings on each component of the programme, technical reports and manuals. The outputs documents include the followings:
AgriTT Achievements Overview
This document provides an image-led overview of the activities and achievements of the AgriTT programme.
Trilateral Aid Lesson Learning Study
The International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) managed an independent lesson learning study reviewing the AgriTT programme. The study provides a detailed analysis of achievements, challenges and lessons from the AgriTT programme, with recommendations for future trilateral cooperation and technology transfer initiatives. Over 120 interviews were conducted in China, Malawi, Uganda and the UK with a full range of AgriTT stakeholders, from cassava farmers and fish farmers to technical experts and government officials.
FAO SSC Expert Study
The Foreign Economic Cooperation Centre (MOA, China) produced research investigating the perspectives of over 100 Chinese technical assistance personnel posted to African countries with the FAO South-South Cooperation programme. The study investigated expert perceptions of technology transfer needs and mechanisms for effective identification of demand for innovative technologies, and how to match these with appropriate technologies from China. The study is available in Chinese.
AgriTT Uganda Cassava Industrialization Strategy
As one component of the Uganda Pilot Development Project, a trilateral team of experts from Africa Innovations Institute (Uganda), Acro Bio-Tech (China) and Natural Resources Institute (UK) analysed options for large-scale cassava processing in Uganda. The study provides a strategy for cassava industrialisation in Uganda, and identifies the most promising markets and the most appropriate technologies for investment.
AgriTT Malawi Feed and Fingerling Commercialization Strategy
A lack of private, commercial activity in the Malawian aquaculture sector has meant that critical elements of the market, such as feed and fingerling supply chains have been neglected to the point that currently neither affordable, high quality feed nor fingerlings are available for the majority of producers. This lack of commercial inputs in the supply chain has been highlighted as one of the main limiting growth factors for the sector and must be addressed if the industry is to commercialise and grow in a sustainable manner. AgriTT commissioned a study to identify how to encourage sustainable commercial development in key areas of feed and fingerling supply.
AgriTT Malawi Tilapia Production Manuals – Fry, Fingerlings and Grow-Out
These manuals document some of the technologies and practices introduced by Chinese technical assistance experts who spent three years working with Malawian partners at the National Aquaculture Centre in Malawi to support technology transfer in the areas of improved fingerling production and grow-out farming. They are a useful reference for technical personnel supporting or engaged with fingerling production and production of grow out fish. Click the titles to read the full manuals:
Policy Briefings
Policy briefs have been produced in English and Chinese on each Research Challenge Fund Project funded by the programme and each component of the AgriTT Pilot Development Projects in Uganda and Malawi. Click the titles to read the full paper:
Research Challenge Fund projects
- Contraceptives to manage rodent outbreaks in Tanzania
- Innovative biocontrol to combat Rwandan soil insect pests
- Synergies for improving beef and maize value chains in Uganda
- How to kickstart innovative finance for rice value chains?
- Why invest in African aquaculture?
- Optimising production and marketing of farmed tilapia in Malawi
- AgriApp – adapting ICTs for mobile agricultural information
- Options for developing the Ugandan cassava value chain
- Upscaling beneficial insect production in Ghana
- Growing Uganda’s mushroom farming
- Improving Tanzania’s dairy cattle
Pilot Development Projects
Uganda
- Building Uganda’s cassava production base
- Adding value to cassava
- Potential for industrialising cassava
Malawi
- The challenge of producing high quality fingerlings in Malawi
- How can aquaculture feeds be improved to meet the needs of producers in Malawi?
- How can smallholder aquaculture producers in Malawi improve their yields and profitability?
- Commercialising the Aquaculture Sector in Malawi