Project Scope and Conclusion
The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter) has been the lead partner in a cooperative effort for the food (meat, seafood and poultry industries in South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Moçambique and Malawi. The program complements the Rural Livelihoods Activity (RLA), falling under Strategic Objective (SO) 15 of the Regional Center for Southern Africa of USAID (USAID/Southern Africa). For this reason, USAID/Southern Africa awarded an associate award to the LSU AgCenter to conduct the Partnerships for Food Industry Development for Meat, Seafood and Poultry (PFID-MSP) project in Southern Africa.
The LSU AgCenter has assembled a partnership of university and private sector collaborators. As well as availing itself of the proven cold chain and association expertise of the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), the LSU AgCenter has partnered with Schaffer Associates International LLC (SAIL), a U.S. private sector partner with wide experience in Africa in project financing and investment. These partners complement the LSU AgCenter’s research, education and outreach capability in food science, agribusiness and agricultural marketing. The following national partner institutions have been contracted to manage PFID-MSP’s day-to-day operations in their respective countries:
- The University of Stellenbosch, the Republic South Africa (RSA)
- The Zambian Agri-business Technical Assistance Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
- The University of Namibia
- The University of Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Moçambique.
- Initiative for Development and Equity in African Agriculture (IDEAA), Malawi.
In the Southern Africa region, PFID-MSP Project was designed to assist small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) to promote quality products to private sector buyers. Identifying and assisting SMMEs was also expected to help meet the demand of U.S., European and Asian markets for Southern African products. PFID-MSP established a centralized resource for linking small-holders and SMMEs with buyers so that these suppliers can meet buyer requirements in terms of price, quality and safety. The LSU AgCenter/PFID program also aimed to interface with government agencies to develop appropriate infrastructure and regulatory requirements. Finally the cold chains in the target countries were assessed, recommendations were made for improvement, and assistance was provided to producers and processors to make investments in cold chain infrastructure.
The PFID-MSP Project conducted two major groups of activities:
· Activity Group I, Technology/Safety/Quality/Regulatory Activities – Including food safety, quality and security compliance, value-added technologies, plant-based technical assistance, cold chain improvement and information support/outreach.
- Activity Group II, Business/Market Activities – Including association development as a way to promote group marketing, producer-processor-market linkages and investment support.
The management structure for this program was designed with the guiding principles of communication and collaboration. To this end, a simple, effective approach to ensure systematic coordination was proposed. Program implementation included regular monitoring and evaluation as integral elements of sound program management. The likelihood of project success is supported by PFID-MSP’s success in Leader Award, as conducted in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the expressed support of bilateral USAID missions.
Accomplishments to date:
Activity Group I, Technology/Safety/Quality/Regulatory Activities:
The Basic Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Training was under the guidance of Dr. Michael Moody. Basic Meat And poultry HACCP training was led by Dr. Kenneth McMillin.
• Trained 112 stakeholders in Basic Certification for Seafood HACCP
• Provided Train the Trainer Instruction for 4 stakeholders (2 male; 2 female) in Seafood HACCP and Sanitary Control Procedures
• Provided In-plant Seafood HACCP technical assistance for at least 1 plant in each of 3 countries
• Trained 55 stakeholders in Local Basic Seafood HACCP Training
• Trained 38 stakeholders (Namibia 14 male + 5 female; Zambia 17 male + 2 female) in Basic Meat/Poultry HACCP Training
• Provided Train the Trainer Instruction in Meat/Poultry HACCP for 17 stakeholders (Namibia 4 male + 1 female; Zambia 3 male + 2 female; Malawi 3 male +1 female; Mozambique 2 male + 1 female)
Activity Group II, Business/Market Activities:
Association Development as a Way to Promote Group Marketing:
• A WFLO Team provided capacity building training and association development planning assistance to food industry associations in the Namibian Abattoir Association, the Aquaculture Association of Zambia
• Dr. Hector Zapata and Dr. Randall Fortenbery (from the University of Wisconsin, Madison) trained producer/processor cooperatives and associations for business and market planning in four PFID countries (Zambia 23 male + 7 female; Namibia 2 female + 8 male) (Mozambique 16 and RSA 7) in Year 2; 40 trained by local expertise in Zambia Year 3.
Producer-Processor-Market Linkages:
• Dr. Michael Reed (from the University of Kentucky) trained one stakeholder in Namibia (1 female, 11 male) and four in Zambia market linkages (PAZ, LDT, SLAZ, Verino- 13 male, 2 female trained) in Year 2
• RSA: Through the Nyama-Nyama Project PFID facilitated linking small holder to Checkers Shoprite/Government/commercial sector; regional trade opportunities for Three Streams Smokehouse (local processor of trout produced by the Hands-on Fish Farmers Cooperative)
• Namibia: PFID facilitated linkages between the Communal to Commercial (C2C) project + Shoprite/Checkers in Year 3
• Zambia: 2 marketing MOUs were signed between goat and cattle producer/processor cooperatives and marketing organizations in Year 3
Investment Opportunities and Leveraging Resources:
– RSA
• Hands-on Fish Farmers Cooperative: The project leveraged commercial loan of $215,000
• Mokoroane Piggery: completed business plan with Project guidance
• Katse (Highlands) Fish Farms: the Project provided guidance on business plan that contributed to acquisition of 3,900,000 South Africa Rand
– Zambia Business plans developed – Verino Hybrid; Poultry Association of Zambia ; and Livestock Development Trust