1 0 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development _____________________________________________________________________ Project Progress Report 3 April to September 2008 Project Name Introduction of the principles of GAP for citrus through implementation of citrus IPM using Farmer Field Schools Vietnamese Institution Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Plant Protection Department Vietnamese Project Team Leader Mr Ngo Tien Dung Australian Organisation University of Western Sydney Australian Personnel Oleg Nicetic, Robert Spooner-Hart Date commenced March 2007 Completion date (original) August 2010 Completion date (revised) Reporting period April 2008 to September 2008 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Oleg Nicetic (til 2/07/10) Robert Spooner-Hart (from 3/07/20) Telephone: +61245701329 Position: Research Program Coordinator Fax: +61245701103 Organisation University of Western Sydney Email: o.nicetic@uws.edu.au In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Gar Jones Telephone: +6124736 0631 Position: Director, Research Services Fax: +6124736 0905 Organisation University of Western Sydney Email: g.jones@uws.edu.au In Vietnam Name: Mr Ngo Tien Dung Telephone: +84-4-5330778 Position: National IPM coordinator Fax: +84-4-5330780 Organisation Plant Protection Department Email: ipmppd@fpt.vn 2 1. Project Abstract 2. Executive Summary All activities undertaken in the first six months in the second year of the project resulted in successful implementation of all planned FFSs based on specific needs of each province that were identified by rapid appraisal in June 2008. Other outcomes achieved in the reporting period include the finalising the GAP manual based on feedback from CARD PMU, good progress in implementation of VietGAP by farmer group in Dong Thap, completion of GLOBAG.A.P. implementation in Vinh Long province and finalising book the Field Guide for Citrus Pests and Diseases. Within the reporting period a total of 57 FFS were started in 13 provinces with 1710 farmers enroled. They will study the principles of GAP including record keeping, IPM, understanding of citrus orchard ecosystem, influence of pruning and tree density on yield and tree health, and understanding of the influence of organic and mineral nutrients on soil health and citrus orchard productivity. Dr Nguyen Van Hoa and his team from SOFRI completed writing of the GAP manual that is now very significant reference material for GAP training in citrus. Dr Vo Mai and her team from VACVINA have been progressing very well with implementation of GAP in Long Hau village, Lai Vung district, Dong Thap province. The group of eleven farmers from have been participating in GAP implementation for nearly a year now and they make very harmonious and coherent group determent to achieve GAP certification. Our activities in Long Hau village have great support from local government at all levels from commune peoples committee to provincial DARD. Local government provided financial support for building of field toilets. The key objective of this project is to align the Vietnamese citrus industry with world standard production practices and open opportunities for export markets. Adoption of sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) aligned to principles of good agricultural practice (GAP) leads to both economic and environmental benefits, and will enable Vietnamese citrus growers to be at the forefront of production in the Asia-Pacific region. Production of export quarantine-compliant citrus fruit with pesticide levels below international minimum residue levels (MRLs) as the result of this project will open new market opportunities in the competitive export markets and will enhance food safety for domestic consumption. The project is based on an interactive learning and action research paradigm, and uses the farmer field school (FFS) model. Leading research institutions from Southern and Northern Vietnam, together with extension officers from PPD and farmer organisations including VACVINA and Farmers Union are working together to produce a GAP procedures tailored to suit Vietnamese conditions. They are also work closely with the farmers on validation of the GAP manual and providing training of trainers and farmers in IPM and GAP through FFS. Project activities are conducted in 5 provinces in the Mekong delta and 8 provinces of Central and Northern Vietnam. The IPM component is based on practices developed in project 036/04 VIE which have been adjusted in consultation with key personnel from Northern Vietnam, to account for local conditions. 3 Unfortunately we have to abandon implementation of GAP in My Long village cooperative in Cai Be district, Thien Giang province due to the lack of finance for necessary changes farmers have to make to comply with GAP requirements. Dr Lam from PPRI after incorporating changes to the draft of the Field Guide for Citrus Pests and Diseases suggested by Dr Duc and Mr Loc from PPD and other master trainers has completed the book which is now ready for print. The management structure that was improved after the first year of the project performed very effectively resulting in on time implementation of all activities. 3. Introduction & Background Citrus fruit is one of the major fruit crops in Vietnam (MARD 2004) and citrus production is an important source of income for many Vietnamese farmers. However, productivity and production of citrus in Vietnam is considerably lower than in Australia and major citrus producing countries of the world such as Brazil and the USA. It has been stated by MARD that “in general, citrus cultivation has not been significantly developed over the past few years, largely because of the serious damage of pests and diseases, especially greening disease (officially known as huanglongbing) and therefore studies on their control methods, in combination with managing citrus plantations and using advanced and intensive technology is a vital necessity” (MARD 2004). The objectives of this project are to develop GAP production procedures for the Vietnamese citrus industry that will be published as a handbook and to introduce GAP practices using the FFS model. Through the FFS training program a national cadre of citrus IPM/GAP master trainers and provincial level FFS facilitator teams will be established. The key methodologies adopted are participatory based learning and action based research. The objective of both techniques is to fully engage participants and allow them to direct the learning and research to best meet their needs. A key component of this project is Training of Trainers and Master Trainers in citrus GAP including IPM. Trainers will conduct FFSs in their provinces and together with the trained farmers will become leaders in citrus production aligned to GAP. Multiple outputs from FFS training have been demonstrated in previous CARD projects in citrus. These include: farmer empowerment through increased knowledge of the agro- ecosystem; the conservation of biodiversity and protection of the environment through reduced pesticide application as a result of improved knowledge of pests and diseases and more effective control measures; increased food security through enhanced production; and protection of the health of farming communities and consumers of fruit through reduced pesticide use in fruit production. In addition to these outputs it is expected that this project will establish a locally relevant GAP framework and begin the process of implementation of these practices in citrus production. Implementation of GAP will open new market opportunities in both the domestic and export markets. 4 4. Progress to Date 4.1 Implementation Highlights The activities undertaken in the first six months in the second year of the project have resulted in all objectives being achieved and all outputs delivered on time. The activities undertaken in this period are detailed below. 4.1.1. Commencement of FFFs Successful implementation of the program for 2007 has resulted in 98 trainers being effectively trained in citrus IPM and GAP. These trainers conducted FFS at 57 locations in 5 provinces in the Mekong Delta and 8 provinces in the northern part of Viet Nam (Table 1). Table 1: Location of FFSs number of participants and gender ratio in 2008 Province Number of FFS Number of farmers trained (CARD FFS only) Proportion of female participants (%) MEKONG DELTA Tien Giang 7 210 14 Dong Thap 2 60 3 Vinh Long 6 180 3 Can Tho 6 180 12 Ben Tre 4 120 16 Sub-Total 25 750 9.6 NORTHERN VIETNAM Ha Tinh 4 120 36 Nghe An 4 120 35 Hoa Binh 4+1* 120 28 Ha Tay 4 120 25 Phu Tho 4 120 39 Yen Bai 4 120 29 Tuyen Quang 4 120 21 Ha Giang 4 120 17 Sub-Total 32+1* 960 28.75 TOTAL 57+1 1710 19.17 * Funded by local government A total of 1710 farmers have commenced training in 2008, of which 19.2% were female (Table 1). Participation of women was significantly higher in the Northern Vietnam where female participation was 29% with Phu Tho province recording 39% female participation. In the Mekong delta female participation was only 9.6%, with Ben Tre recording highest female participation of 16%. Curriculum framework has not changed since last year and it contains a total of 21 sessions held during the growing season covering topics presented in Annex 1. The project management team consisting of Dr Duc from PPD Hanoi, Mr Loc from Regional Centre 4 in Vinh and Oleg Nicetic from UWS have visited all FFS in June 2008 and they conducted rapid appraisal to establish specific training needs in each province. Results of the appraisal are shown in Appendix 2. From presented results it can be concluded that pest and diseases problems vary significantly from province to province. The number of pesticide 5 sprays is generally not too high, but choice of pesticides in many cases is not IPM- compatible. The results obtained assisted in focusing the FFS towards the farmers’ specific needs. 4.1.2. GAP Manual The draft GAP manual for citrus in Vietnamese based on GlobalGAP was submitted to CARD PMU and it was approved with the request to provide the English version of the final manual as well. Attached to this report as separate PDF files are final versions of GAP manual for citrus in English and Vietnamese. The GAP manual was written by the experience team of researchers from SOFRI headed by Dr Hoa. The same team wrote the GAP manual for dragon fruit. 4.1.3. Implementation of GAP Output 6 of the project is to implement GAP in one of the cooperatives (farmer groups) in the Mekong delta and implementation of GAP is the main focus of the 3 rd year of the project (2009). However, because of the complexity of the certification process and the existence of a large gap between the reality of Vietnamese citrus production and GlobalGAP requirements, implementation of GAP has already commenced. The team from VACVINA, headed by Dr Vo Mai, works with two groups of farmers. The first group is from Long Hau village, Lai Vung district, Dong Thap province. Eleven farmers from the village actively participate in GAP implementation. This group grows Tieu mandarin, which is a very popular variety on the Vietnamese market but with very low prospects for export; hence, this group is working towards VietGAP certification. The group has been participating in GAP implementation for nearly a year now and they have been a very harmonious and coherent group and determined to achieve GAP certification. Our activities in Long Hau village have great support from the local government at all levels: from the commune’s People’s Committee to provincial DARD. Local government provided financial support for building of field toilets. Team of trainers supported by our project have regular monthly meeting with the group and all implementation activities have been progressing very well. The second group of farmers Dr Vo Mai works with are from My Hoa cooperative. All farmers involved in this cooperative have graduated from the 2007 FFS. The cooperative has received financial support from the retail company Metro to implement GAP. The cooperative producing pomelo and is involved in export of pomelo to Europe; hence, GLOBALG.A.P has been implemented in this cooperative. 4.1.4. Pest and Diseases Field Guide for North of Viet Nam Dr Lam from PPRI, after incorporating changes to the draft of the Field Guide for Citrus Pests and Diseases suggested by Dr Duc and Mr Loc from PPD and other master trainers, has completed the book which is now ready for print. 4.1.5. On farm record keeping system On farm record keeping system was developed based on VietGAP requirements and consists of a very simple, cheap record book that was trialled by farmers in the first year of FFS. The first version of the book was a small A5 format which was not accepted by farmers because space for writing was too small and farmers liked to write using large letters. After the format 6 of the book was adapted to A4 size with landscape orientation, acceptance was very good. In Annex 3 the final version of record keeping book is presented. (Note: Formatting in the Annex is not as good as original). In Annex 4, feedback from 24 farmers from 4 provinces is presented. More comprehensive feedback from focus group discussions with 90 farmers from all 13 provinces will be done as part of impact assessment at the end of the project. 83% of farmers find the record books easy to use, 8.5% of farmers find book not easy to use but still managed to keep accurate record and 8.5% of farmers find the book too difficult to use so no record was kept. 79% farmers would buy the record book if the price is around VND 10,000. 92% of the farmers stated that they will continue using the record book after termination of the project. 4.2 Capacity Building The institutional capacity of the PPD to facilitate farmer participatory training is high and this project is further enhancing that capacity by addressing capability gaps in relation to specific knowledge about GAP. In the second year of the project trainers working with farmers on implementation of elements of GAP related to IPM, farmers and environmental safety, and record keeping. At the review workshop it became clear that trainers’ understanding of GAP had improved but there is still a lot of conceptual confusion in differentiation between IPM and GAP. At refresher TOTs the concept of GAP and the potential impacts of GAP implementation were studied and discussed. At the end of the TOT the GAP implementation strategies were drafted. Forming linkages between all stakeholders involved in the project is a critical component of capacity building and all efforts are being made to build linkages between institutions in Northern and Southern Vietnam. This project has successfully facilitated sharing of expertise and knowledge related to GAP between stakeholders from the Mekong delta, who have higher levels of GAP knowledge and experience, and stakeholders from the Northern provinces with less exposure to GAP. The very important linkage has been established between PPD staff and the non-government organisation VACVINA that is now driving implementation of GAP. 4.3 Training Programs Training is a major component of this project and during 2007 it has been conducted at two levels. At the trainers’ level 10 master trainers completed a 4 day workshop in Hanoi and a total of 98 extension officers, mainly from PPD but some from ARD and NGOs, received training in citrus IPM and GAP. These trainers then facilitated a total of 24 FFSs in their local regions funded by CARD and an additional 17 FFSs funded by provincial government. In 2008 trainers are facilitating a further 57 FFSs. At the farmers’ level training focussed on integrated crop management that included IPM, plant nutrition and pruning. In regard to GAP training, the focus has been on record keeping. At workshops in November 2007 and refresher TOTs in February-March 2008 it was concluded that in Northern Vietnam the focus should remain on Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and record keeping while in Mekong delta other elements of GAP may be included in FFS curriculum. Refresher TOTs were used for discussion about GAP principles and the ways GAP can be implemented in Vietnam. Discussion focused particularly on the role of cooperatives in implementation of GAP. Another important part of refresher TOTs was the identification of pests and diseases in the orchard and practical exercises to calibrate knapsack and calculate dose of pesticide applied. Participants also assessed spray coverage of citrus canopy. At the 7 end of refresher TOTs, practical exercises for FFS orchards were designed and they have been implemented over the past 6 months. 4.4 Publicity A finding of the pre-intervention survey was that the best way to disseminate information to farmers through the media is by television, as more than 90% of all farmers have a television set in their own home. Every province in Vietnam has a local television station and as 70% of the population live in rural areas, the level of content relating to agricultural matters is high. In Mekong delta television reporters have been invited to all major project events such as meetings and the opening and closing of FFS. The Vietnamese project team regularly participate in the program “Farmer’s bridge” on several local TV stations in the Mekong delta. Unfortunately, there is no similar media coverage in the North. 4.4 Project Management After adjustments made to management structure within the first year of the project and reported in 2 nd six-monthly report project management worked efficiently in the current reporting period. . 5. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues 5.1 Environment The focus of the FFS is to increase the farmers’ understanding of the ecosystem and the impact of human influences on it. This approach has the potential to reduce the detrimental impacts of human activities on the environment. The IPM strategies farmers learn and implementation of GAP should result in improved ecosystem health. At this stage of the project it is too early to detect any evidence of environmental improvement. 5.2 Gender and Social Issues In the training of master trainers and trainers about 30% of trainers overall were females. This proportion of males and females is reflective of the overall PPD trainer gender balance. In the Mekong delta, only 9% of trained farmers were woman and in Northern Vietnam woman participation was 29%. This reflects the differences in traditional roles of women between the regions. All project activities are strongly supported by local government and farmer organisations including the Farmers’ Union and The Women’s Union. Participants in FFS are encouraged to actively engage with their local community and share knowledge acquired in FFS. From previous CARD projects we have evidence that the FFS participants became the founders and core members of Farmers’ clubs and cooperatives and it can be anticipated that FFS participants will become actively involved in dissemination of their newly acquired information in this project as well. 8 6. Implementation Issues 6.1 Issues and Constraints As reported in previous 6-monthly report, there were two issues that posed minor constraints to the project’s successful implementation. These are the limited knowledge of trainers in the area of citrus pests and diseases in some provinces, and the selection criteria for participants of FFS in the North that were based on social status of the farmers with preference being given to poorer farmers without taking into account the level of farmers’ knowledge and level of production. These constraints were addressed by intensifying visits to FFSs by Vietnamese experts from PPD Hanoi and Regional Centre 4. The experts provided ‘on-site’ training for trainers and farmers. They made recommendation for pesticide use to ensure that IPM compatible pesticides are used. However, it was concluded that in many FFSs farmers’ knowledge and their practices cannot improve within the timeframe of one FFS conducted for one growing season. 6.2 Options 1. It was decided that in each province two existing FFSs will be selected to continue the FFS program for the second year. 7. Next Critical Steps In the next 6 months 57 FFSs will be completed with 16 FFSs in the North selected to commence in 2009. In November, a review workshop will be held to develop the curriculum for the second year of FFSs. The book Field Guide for Citrus Pests and Diseases will be printed and distributed. 8. Conclusion In the first six months of the second year of the project an efficient management structure has delivered all planned outputs. Good planning, open communication between project personnel and sustained efforts have resulted in successful second year of FFS training for 1710 farmers and 98 trainers. The GAP manual has been completed and Citrus Pest and Diseases Field Guide for Northern provinces of Vietnam is ready for printing. Implementation of GAP is progressing successfully in Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces, but it was abandoned in Tien Giang province. 9 Project Progress Against Proposed Objectives, Outputs, Activities And Inputs Project Title: Introduction of the principles of GAP for citrus trough implementation of citrus IPM using Farm Field School Vietnamese Implementing Institution: Plant Protection Department PROPOSAL PROGRESS REPORT Narrative Information Required Performance Measures Assumptions/Risks Information Required OBJECTIVES 1 2 3 To develop GAP manual for citrus that includes IPM guidelines that are compliant with GAP standards To establish a national cadre of citrus IPM/GAP master trainers and province level FFS facilitator teams. Enhanced capacity of farmers to implement citrus IPM compliant with GAP standards GAP manual and IPM guidelines compliant with GAP standards and suitable for local conditions exist. Training of master trainers at national level conducted and reported. Training of trainers at regional level conducted and reported. Cadre of competent national master trainers and provincial FFS facilitators exist to champion GAP principles and IPM aligned to GAP in their region. Citrus IPM/GAP FFS conducted. Trained farmers knowledge on citrus IPM and GAP increased. Trained farmer implement IPM aligned to GAP (commenced in Low risk because of MARD need to comply with APPPC requirements. Study is also aligned with VACVINA/VinaFruit strategic goals to develop export oriented citrus industry hence proponents will have high level of institutional support. Low risk because high self motivation of master trainers, high level of institutional support and for reasons stated in 2.1. Low risk. See 2.1 and high level of community and institutional support to achieve the objective. All objectives remain highly relevant and satisfactory progress was made in the first six months of the second year towards their achievement. 10 4 5 6 Develop procedures/formats for compliance with EUREPGAP/ASIAGAP in areas other then IPM but related to IPM including on- farm recording system formats and responsible/safe use, handling and storage of pesticide and post-harvest handling. Assess effectiveness of FFS for implementation of IPM and GAP Implementation of GAP in one of the cooperatives in Mekong delta. FFS participant orchards). Reduced pesticide use. Increased food safety and protection of health of farming communities and consumer of fruits. Increased capacity of citrus industry to implement GAP and be prepared for new market conditions after Vietnam enter WTO. Increased capacity of GOs and NGOs to assist small holders transition to unprotected market environment. Increased capacity of VinaFruit to facilities export of Vietnamese citrus. Comprehensive analysis reported. GAP implemented. See 4.1 and high level of community and institutional support to achieve the objective. Low risk since methodology is already developed in CARD project 36/04 VIE. Medium because some elements of GAP like use of certified planting material cannot be implemented in existing orchards. OUTPUTS 1.1 . Baseline data are reported and published. Baseline to include: 1) Information on knowledge, skills attitudes and practices of PDD, SRPCC, NIPP, CU, SOFRI, VACVINA, VinaFruit and SPC on Report on baseline study submitted to GOs and NGOs. Press release written. Report peer reviewed by CARD PMU. Feedback on report requested from all stakeholders. Results published in media. Baseline study methodology was developed and data collection was performed in all 13 provinces. Data were analysed and reported. Report was accepted by PMU. [...]...2) 3) 4) 5) GAP and the integration of IPM into GAP Knowledge and skills on GAP/ IPM of 15 Master Trainers, 90 Trainers and a representative sample of 2880 participating farmers Current GAP/ IPM practices of representative sample of participating farmers including production levels and financial analysis of costs and returns Analysis of key markets for GAP/ IPM compliant citrus and expected market... trainers using draft IPM programs (developed in 1.2.1) Programs will be verified during the first year of FFSs and refined at the review workshop at the end of the first year of the project Refined programs will be verified during the second year of the project IPM strategies verified by farmers, extension officers and scientists Written feedback will be required from trainers Report on IPM strategies peer... North of Vietnam) competent in citrus IPM aligned to GAP Trainers successfully facilitate at least one FFS within the course of project Competency will be assessed by critical self-evaluation and by master trainers 3.1 2880 farmers with improved capacity to implement IPM aligned to GAP Farmers successfully graduate from FFS Implementation of IPM program aligned to GAP commenced during the course of FFS... preliminary evaluation of on-farm record keeping book 19 Annex 1a: Training program for FFSs in 2007 Northern provinces Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Contents Selection of meeting room, study field, farmers Opening Ceremony, arrangement of FFS, conduct pre-test, base line survey and set the IPM experiment Introduction of record keeping and distribution of record keeping notebooks Introduction of GAP principles Ago-Ecosystem... Ago-Ecosystem of Citrus orchard: + Introduction of Citrus orchard ecosystem in the class + Go to the Citrus orchard: Survey, collection the specimens, + Return the room: Drawing and analysis of Citrus orchard agroecosystem + Practice on the field and discussion - Group dynamic/team building activities - Ago-Ecosystem analysis - Citrus in building phase (Nutrition requirement after harvesting and before flowering... GAP and the integration of IMP into GAP b) Knowledge and skills on GAP/ IPM of 15 Master Trainers, 90 Trainers and a representative sample of 2880 participating farmers c) changed GAP/ IPM practices of representative sample of participating farmers including production levels and Evaluation reported 4.2.1 Monitoring of impact of 2007 FFS commenced and continue in 2008 16 analysis of financial environmental... effectiveness published Acceptance for publication by high impact journal 6.1 GAP certified pilot cooperative established GAP implemented in one of the cooperatives in Mekong delta Certification granted or pending ACTIVITIES 1.1.1 The farmer group in Dong Thap province is in process of VietGAP implementation The farmer group in Vinh Long is nearing completion of GLOBAL GAP implementation, with assistance... trainers Implementation of IPM program aligned to GAP verified through farmer record keeping 3.2 Publication of (1) GAP Handbook incorporating IPM aligned handbook and (2) Updated Pests and Diseases Field guide for application in different agro-ecological zones of Viet Nam Books published and used as a resource by farmers and GOs and NGOs Feedback from stakeholders 4.1 Procedures for compliance with EUREPGAP/ASIAGAP... analysis - Physiology of Citrus at stage of flower formation and development - Solutions for rehabilitation of citrus orchard after flooding –apply to the South - Insect zoo - Group activities - Survey and analysis of Citrus orchard ecosystem - Physiology of Citrus at stager of Spring flush cycle and Flowering - Life Cycle and Food web - Group dynamic/team building activities - Review of GAP standards implemented... monitoring 9 Citrus diseases 10 Citrus diseases continued 11 Safety of pesticide handling Quantifying economic inputs & outputs 12 Biopesticides; Bt, Trichoderma Advantages and disadvantages 13 Nutrition for flowering & fruit set 14 Techniques of growing citrus, pruning, tree spacing, weed management without herbicide IPM on citrus, Introduce the process of facilitating farmer to conduct VietGAP IPM on citrus . Project Name Introduction of the principles of GAP for citrus through implementation of citrus IPM using Farmer Field Schools Vietnamese Institution Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,. 4.1.3. Implementation of GAP Output 6 of the project is to implement GAP in one of the cooperatives (farmer groups) in the Mekong delta and implementation of GAP is the main focus of the 3 rd . Objectives, Outputs, Activities And Inputs Project Title: Introduction of the principles of GAP for citrus trough implementation of citrus IPM using Farm Field School Vietnamese Implementing Institution: