THE AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT
PROGRAMME (ASP) IN ZAMBIA,
AN INNOVATIVE AND
SUCCESSFUL EXTENSION
APPROACH.
• ASP is a commercialisation programme for small
scale farmers.
• ASP concentrates on the concept of “Farming as a
Business”.
• The programme realizes that it is primarily the
farming business and entrepreneurship that drives
the development of agricultural business entities
and not agricultural technologies.
Households with
Increased Income
Improved Food Security
Improved
Production and
Productivity
and Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Development
Interventions
Improved
Entrepreneurial Capacity
Households with
Improved
Technical and
Business
Capacity
Small-scale
Farming
Households
Agriculture
Development
Interventions
Improved
Technical Capacity
ASP Uses a
process of
facilitation to
assist small
scale farming
households to
build their
Entrepreneurship
skills as well as
their businesses
ASP follows several principles & pillars. The following
are some of the key ones:
• Participatory facilitation methodology. The farmers
are always in the “drivers’ seat”
• No hand outs
• Walk away policy
• Demand driven programme interventions
• Household approach
The facilitation process continues for a period of three years.
During the period households develop from being merely
“rural dwellers” to become small scale commercial farmers.
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The following are some of the characteristics of households after
three years of facilitation :
All households have a vision
Records are kept
Annual and monthly plans are made for each economic activity
Household check out the market before they decide what
enterprises to go into
Simple budgets are prepared for each enterprise
Diversification of enterprises also including off farm activities
Crop and livestock husbandry improved
Use of improved seeds
Better land management practices
Established links with service providers
Increased Income and Food Security
In response to needs for capital for identified
investments ASP has facilitated the emergence of
300 ASCAS, 100 ROSCAS and 225 Investment
groups.
ASP did not start with the facilitation of savings
schemes. This came in later when the households
had a clear idea of their businesses and their need
for capital as well as a better capacity to save.
Availability of support entities at village level like,
outgrower schemes, traders, processors, transporters,
input suppliers etc. are very important for the
development of small scale farmers’ businesses.
Many farmers have identified business opportunities as
service providers through the facilitation cycle
approach. This has generated about 800 small scale
out grower schemes, which are very important as they
often provide the following services:
• Markets
• Market Information
• Supply of Inputs
• Credit
• Agribusiness advise (extension)
Conclusions and
Lessons Learnt
• The programme approach works and would be suitable
to replace extension approaches, which are technology
rather than business driven.
•
Participating households get out of poverty in a
sustainable way.
• The programme approach has a positive cost-benefit
ratio.
Thank You.