The economic development of Upper Volta (Vol. 2 of 4) : Agriculture

RESTRICTED F8lp f0py E AIAI4 tl Vo!. 2 Tnis report was prepared for use within the Bank and its atmtitated organizations. They do not accept responsibility' for its accuracy or completeness. The report may not be pubiisneci nor may it be quoted as representing their views. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF UPPER VOLTA (in four volumes) VOLUM.A.E II AGRICULT~URE lNovember 27, 197' vWeste r-nLfrlica i_]eparLtmentl  CURRUV1'CY E0UIVULEITTS Currency Unit: CFA Franc (CFAF) Before August 11, 1969: TuS$ 1.0 = FF'168 cFA'F 1,000 = US$ h.x5 After August 11, 19S9: uS!> i.w = CFA 277.71 CFAF 1,000 = US$ 3.60 WEIGHTS ANID ,EASTJRES 1 1,Metric Ton (t) = 2,205 lbs. 1 Kilogramn (kg) = 2.2 lbs. 1 K1lometer (km) = 0.62 m:ile 1 Meter (pi) = 3.28 fcet  CONK1DOSi'fjOLCiT OF 1.SSIJI:)i This reporlu is based oji the fi.ndA.nZs of a 1Nission wh:ich visi.Led Upper Volta in N-coveiTber-Dc-cem,fber 1969 a-nd which consisted of: John C. de lWilde Chief of M4ission Y:red,y t. G. Holin Economist il. Casati Consultant-Agri.cultuiral Econonmis't (FAO) A. Guinard Consultant-Agronomist (FAQ) G. Lazarev Consultarnt-Rural Sociolois-t (FAO) AJ .1. Robinet Consultant-Livestock - x^rt (FA(') S. Picker Consulttant--E;duce aion Advi-ser N. Raphacli Adviser on Planninr The renort consists of the following volu nes: T IlIai n 'epor4.. II Agriculture IIT Iives-t-ock IV Ed-u cation   TABRTE OE rrMrNTNTS BASIC DATA SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................. ..................... i-iv I. THE CHARACTERISTICS AND STATE OF AGRICULTURE .... .............. 1 A. The Constraints ............................................ 1 Hlarsh Climate and Poor Soils .............................. 1 uver-expIoitatlon aiai Lack of Equipment ...................L Shortage of Senior Staff and Equipment in the Agricultural aervices ................................................ J B. The Present Position of Agriculture in Upper Volta ........ 3 Agriculture and Livestock ................................. 3 The System of Land Tenure ..........................., 4 Estimates ot Agricultural Production ..... ................. Subsistence Crops . ......................................... 6 Cash Crops ................................................ 9 Marketing and Prices ..................................].2 12 C. Conclusions . ............................................... 1.4 II. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: POLICIES AND RESULTS ........... 1.6 A. Development Programs and Institutions ..... ................ 1.6 Development Programs ........ .............................. 16 The Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture .... .......... 17 T'he Regional Development Offices (ORDs) .... ............... 1.8 ORD Policies .......... ............................... 20 The Ouahigouya ORD (BDPA) .......................... 20 The Koudougou and Ouagadougou ORDs (SATEC) .... ....... 21 The Black Volta and Kaya ORDs (CFDT) .... ............. 22 The Other ORDs ................................. 23 Agricultural Credit ....................................... .23 Extension Services ........................................ 24 Organization and Methods ............................. 24 Training, Recruitment, Salary and Future of Extension Staff .. 27 Achievements to Date ................................. 28 Recruitment and Training of Voltaic Counterparts . 29 Rural Education of Young Farmers ..................... 29  TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Pe B. Evaluation of the Programs ................................ 30 Methods and Results ........... ............................ 30 Variations in Results ....... ......................... 30 Slow Progress of Agricultural Extension .... .......... 34 Unsuitable programs ........ .......................... 35 The High Cost of Investment ....... ........................ 36 Erosion Control in Yatenga ...... ..................... 36 Investment in Dams ......... .......................... 37 Operating Costs . .......................................... 38 Provision of Operating Funds ..... .................... 38 Cost of Extension Services .. ......................... 40 Cost of Foreign Technical Assistance ................. 41 Agricultural Development and Agronomic Research .... ....... 41 C. Current Projects .......... ................................ 44 Execution of the Plan ........ ............................. 44 Cotton uevP1^nnlpnr Prni0et - Bobo-Dioulasso/Bl2ck Volta = 4r Sugar Development Project - Banfora .................... ... 47 T he Veg- eta b ;i 1 Mi 11 Pr - ott nat Rnh n--l4 l1 c2Qn 5n Other Projects ............................................ 51 III. POSSIBILITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ....... .. ........... 53 A. Economic Prospects ........................................ 53 Evaluation of the Economic Potential ...................... 53 Demar.d and 'Product-ion Gyoals ................................................5 Domestic Dpmand ...................................... 54 The External Market .................................. 55 Processing of Agricultural Prouucts ...... ............ 55 Projections ............................................... 56 B. Long-Term Need for integration of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry ............................................... 57 Farming and Livestock Policy .............................. 57 Reorganization of Agriculture and the Introduction of Animal Husbandry ........................................ 58 Better Feeding of Stock: Development of Fodder Production . 60  TrABLE: OF CONTENTS %Cont-nued) 3/ 1,1JiU.LLdL.LUL1b Uk UL L L u LaLfL; 4and EIquipment ................6l Animal Husbandry ........................................ ,62 Definitions of Goals . ................................. 2 Herd Management ...................................... 63 Choice and Improvement of Breeds ..................... 63 Conditions of Husbandry .......... .................... 63 Improvement of Performance ........ ................... 64 Recommendations on Extension Services ...... ............... 64 Prospects for Integration . ................................ 64 Goals and Priorities ................................. ,65 Effects of the Program ........... .................... 155 C. Means and Methods of Action ........... .................... 66 Better D:istribution of the Agricultural Population ... ..... 66 Gradual Diversification of Programs ....................... 67 Need for Central Government Control and Integration of Technical Sources at the Regional Level .... ............. 68 Central Government Control ............................ 68 The Integration of Technical Services on the Regional Level ............................................. 69 The Cost of Extension Services ....... ..................... 70 Organization of Producers .......... ....................... 74 Farm Price Policy ......................................... 74 Reorient,ation of FinancinR ......... ....................... 75 D. Possible Projects ......................................... 77 Raising Production in the Uplands ...... ................... 77 Development of Water Resources ....... ..................... 78 Settlement of Uninhabited Areas , .. = . ...80 IV. f.ONCLUSTONS . ............................ ..................... 82 ANNEXES   BASIC DATA 1. Area: 274,122 square km 2. Popu.lation: 1. c.66 1969 C Q TLo t a4. 'L 1+ .J 3UU. including: urban population 305,000 320,000 rura'L popu.LatiLon L4,J1,000J 4,4.10,0u0 migrants 290,000 300,000 Net rate of increase: 2% per annum for the whole population. J. Economic Data: (i9O6) GDP (in millions of CFA francs): 58,220 Irnciuding: agriculture 19,373.5 forestry and hunting 2,793.0 livestock 5,726.5 fishing 467.0 Total rural production 28,360.0 i.e. 48.8% of GDP Production for domestic consumption 20,268.0 marketed production 8,092.0 Average GI)P per capita (1966): GDP per head of population: CFAF 12,300 (U.S. $49) GDP per head of rural population: CFAF 6,800 (U.S. $28) including:- subsistence production: CFAF 4,900 (U.S. $20) cash crops: CFAF 1,900 (U.S. $ 8) 1/ Figures for the urban population and for migrant workers vary according to the sources used: between 275,000 and 320,000 for the population in the towns, and between 300,000 and 370,000 for migrants.   SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The tPresent Pos4irtion i. Theaval'able stat'stica' data are not- such as to allow a precise evaluation of the present position or of recent developments in the agri- cu'LturaL economy of Upper Volta. ii. Food production per capita seems to have rema neu stationary, the output of cotton has increased more rapidly than was expected; and both production and consumption of rice have also risen. However, with tie ex- ception of cotton, none of these commodities has shown any real improvement in yield; the increased supply is merely the result of expanding the area. under cultivation. ii:i. The present system of "agriculture plus livestock raising" is increasing the pressure on availab-te land resources: in some regions this is evidenced by a shortage of land,, both for cultivation and for grazing, and by, population movements, including temporary emigration of workers to Ghana and Ivory Coast, and permanent migration to less populated parts of Upper Volta from the Mossi region. iv. The marketing of cash crops is relatively satisfactory in spite of the poor state of local roads which makes transport difficult and cosl:ly. On the other hand, marketing for food crops is very inadequate, resulting in trading difficulties with areas where there are food shortages, such as the East and North. v. The agricultural developmiient program depends on external financing and on technical assistance provided by foreign companies ("societes d'in- tervention" ') which have rather high operating costs and for which the Gov- ernmenlt must provide considerable counterpart funds from its budget. The future prospect for such financing is uncertain. vi. The Upper Volta Government has not been able to prepare any specific rural projects involving productive use of investment funds as part of the present National Plan, except for the Black Volta cotton proj- ect, for which the planning was done with the help of outside funds and foreign experts. The Possibilities of Rural Development vii. In general, che role of agriculture in the development of the Upper Volta economy and its foreign trade is likely to remairn less importanit than that of animal nusbandry. viii. T'he agricultural potential of Upper Volta is limited owing to unfavorable ohvsical conditions (noor soil- lack of water. etc.). the low level of technical knowledge among faarrmTers, and the shortage of local senior staff. However, some cegree ot adrcv tural dvplonment can be achievecl:  (a) by ensuring a better distribution o' the ooDulation in relation to the land which is actually under cultivation or could be covered for agricultural use; (b) by extending cultivation of cash crops: in the first Dlace, cotton, and after that, rice; (c) by increasing the production of food crops such as millet and sorghum to improve the staple diet of the people. x. Upper Volta should encourage the slow, steady development of a system of "mixed farming" because under existing conditions of land shortage and population pressure the area under cultivation can be extended nnlv at the expense of the livestock ranges. Recommendations xi. Implementation of the recommendations set out more fully later in the mission report is subject to the completion of certain essential general studies (e.g. demographic and agricultural surveys) and the pre- paration of snecific nroiects suitahle for external finanring. xii- Pronirt nffires shouild arrordingly be established witthin the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Planning to prepare the project dficimenttinn required to justify financing. xiii. In allocating the available public resources, whether domestic or foreign, priority should be given to: (a) the encouragement of production plans most likely to buring L bout subUstanCtiall ncrease in individual- money incomes in rural areas: (b) the development of regions which at present are sparsely populedLU or virtually em.pty anlu whLil could abU s o rbJ the LI excess rural population of the Mossi plateau, namely the ., ^ _ _ ,_ J _ __ _ _ _ a_ 0 -. T_L .,_ _ _ _ . a_J _ . r __ lightly populated LUCb in1 L1th South-West adL SoUULth-astL, and the valleys of the Mossi plateau, especially that of the White V'olta river. xiv. Within the framework of such a program, the traditional distinc- tion between investment and recurring costs should be abandoned, and the available funds should be applied to finance whatever measures are most likely to raise production, irrespective of whether they entail new invest- ment or an increase in operating costs of government services (for example, livestock and agricultural extension services) or a combination of the two. xv. In the agricultural sector, priority should be given to developing cotton production, which is making good progress at the present time, par- ticularly in the Black Volta area. However, it is recommended that:  - iii - (a) an overall long-term production target be set (120.000 tons of cnottonseed would seem to be the maximum), taking into account the forecasts for West African production aa who le and the nuantity that can be disposed of on the world market; 1/ (b) this production target be allocated among the various pr c ducncig re io - . xV i. The proposed set-tLlementr of ne;-. lands requires the elbrto of projects that are technically and economically feasible, including: - general inventory of all the suitable areas; - an effective international campaign against onchocerciasis (river blindness), which nias raade maniy of the uninhabited zones unusaLble; - the preparation of plans for the development of production and necessary infrastructure in certain priority areas oi Upper Volta (e.g. the White Volta River Valley). xvii. With respect to water resources, the Mission believes that new dams, the cost of which has been shown to be prohibitive, should not be constructed. Instead, available resources should be utilized by: (a) developing small, low-cost irrigation schemes below existing dams; small projects of this kind should be finianced in each ORD; (b) providing watering points or wells for human and animal use; and (c) developing simple schemes for the partial control of water in cotton lands (bas-fonds). Most o:- the irrigated land should be used for growing rice. xviii. In view of the high cost of foreign managed extension services, Upper Volta should consider very seriously ways of reducing the cost of such services, in particular by training local professional staff capable of replacing foreign experts. xix. In the research and development field, an effort should be made to tailor both research programs and available means to the priority aim 1/ In fixing this target, the availability of funds in the Upper Volta budget for maintaining minimum price levels must also be considered.  - iv - of increasing the yield of food crops. The widespread introduction of improved varieties of sorghum and millet should be the chief short-term goal. xx. It is clear that an increase in production will also depend on an improvement in marketing and infrastructure, and on investment in Drocessing facilities. xxi. The present agricultural program, based essentially on one cash crop, should be diversified as far as possible bv improving the production of food and feed, and by the progressive integration of animal husbandry with aricuilture- The areas where nrioritv should be given to develonmentn of mixed farming are chiefly in the South-West (Banfora) and South-East (Fada N'r-^u:rma) where there is still sufficient land available, unlike the Mossi plateau which is relatively over-populated and over-exploited. xxii. Measures to diversify crop production and encourage mixed farming dneend on rho reinforcemnt of existing prognrms for educating farmers and training extension staff. This program should be extended to cover other regions which nre Qstutahlp for development and where nevw land is to hb houiight into production. In the long run, the scope of the program should be broad- ened beyond the iimediate task of -romoting cash crops so as to achieve an integrated plan of rural development which would comprise such activities as the organization of groups of producers a atapre-cooperative level, the improvement of marketing procedures, the re-allocation of cultivated land around village 1 omnit4oa the use of animTale for fwrm. w o1r ~a weal 1 their fattening for slaughter, the maintenance and reconstruction of access roAd t, , t n al 1o r hnthtenec lo it PA_.-f..valey4bo ,tom e long-term program will of course require time to mature; it would nevertheless seem to offer the best chance of improvin.g the rural econorm..y of Upper Volta and of raising the standard of living of the farmers.  I THE CHARACTERTSTTCr ANT) STATE OF ARTRICUlTTJRE A. The Constraints 1. Natural, human, technical and economAc conditions are not favor- able to agricultural development. Harsh Climate and Poor Soils 2.. Over the greater part of the country, the annual rainfall is slight (le than 900 to l100 uI[j andU thiLe rai'ny per'ou onLy lasts Lour Umon,ths. There are considerable variations in rainfall from year to year (in the range of uout 20U percent) ani Lits distributLon o-ver the season, a pLaLrt'u.LarLy at the beginning of the cropping period. The extreme South-West (Bobo- Dioulasso, Banfora and Gaoua) has the highest rainfall (1100 to 1300 mm over 4 or 5 months, or occasionally 6 months). High average daily temperatures in the dry season -- between 260C (79