Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension (ENSURE)

• Project funder: African Development Bank & East Africa Community

• Planned Budget: USD 13.14 million

• Location: East African Community (Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda)

• Planned duration: 2024–2027

• Deployment means: On-farm demonstrations, training, digital tools (SMS, IVR, video, radio, pictorial guides), bundled inputs + advisory services, Training of Trainers (ToT)

• Project main implementer: East African Community (EAC)

• Project Description: Strengthen agricultural extension systems using digital tools, private-sector approaches, regional coordination, and multi-commodity focus (maize, cassava, rice, drought-resilient crops).

• Objective: Promote regional extension, enhance advisory services, scale climate-smart technologies, build sustainable private sector–led extension systems, strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks.

• Expected outcome: Increased adoption of improved technologies, improved farmer productivity and profitability, enhanced access to quality inputs and pest management solutions, strengthened resilience to climate and pest risks, regional market integration, job creation for youth and agripreneurs.

• Figures of adoption: Target 3 million farmers reached over 4 years, digital extension pilots in 7 EAC states, training of extension agents, lead farmers, cooperatives, and youth agripreneurs, rollout of Pest Information Management Systems (PIMS).

• Profiles of adopters: Smallholder farmers, women, youth agripreneurs, cooperatives and producer organizations, public and private extension agents, National Plant Protection Officers (NPPOs).

• Lessons learnt: System-level approaches needed beyond technology delivery, digital tools most effective with in-person facilitation, supportive policy/regulatory environment critical, regional harmonization boosts scalability and cross-border diffusion of technologies. 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Enhances agricultural productivity, increasing incomes for smallholder farmers.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Improves food security by increasing millet and sorghum yields in drylands.

Goal 5: gender equality

Supports women farmers but may require gender-sensitive labor-sharing mechanisms.

Goal 6: clean water and sanitation

Reduces water runoff and enhances local water retention.

Goal 13: climate action

Improves climate resilience and supports adaptation to droughts.

Goal 15: life on land

Prevents land degradation, restores soil health, and supports sustainable land use.

1. Site Selection and Preparation

• Choose a degraded or low-productivity field with compacted or crusted soil.
• Clear the land of large debris, rocks, and weeds before digging.

2. Digging the Pits

• Dig small basins (zaï pits) of 20–40 cm in diameter and 10–20 cm deep during the dry season.
• Arrange the pits in a staggered pattern across the field.
• Ensure a density of 12,000–25,000 pits per hectare, depending on soil type and slope.
• Place the excavated soil downslope of each pit to help trap additional runoff.

3. Adding Organic and Mineral Fertilizers

• Apply two handfuls of organic matter (compost, decomposed manure, or cereal straw) in each pit to enhance soil fertility and water retention.
• Add 5–6 g of NPK or DAP fertilizer per pit (equivalent to 72–144 kg per hectare) and mix it with the soil at the base.

4. Sowing the Seeds

• Plant millet or sorghum seeds at the center of each pit at the recommended depth.
• Ensure proper seed spacing for optimal growth.

5. Maintenance and Management

• Regularly monitor the pits to remove weeds and replenish organic matter as needed.
• After the rainy season, repair or deepen pits that have filled with silt to maintain effectiveness.
• Over time, integrate other soil conservation methods (e.g., stone bunds, half-moons) to enhance land restoration.

Downloads

• image.png (PNG, 591.42 KB)
• image.png (PNG, 377.07 KB)