Context
A specialized organization
Cap Malagasy is a Malagasy association specialized in local agricultural advisory service and a member of the Fifata group. This advisory scheme was initiated in 2004 in response to the observation that agricultural practices in the Malagasy countryside could only be improved through local and long-term support by technicians trained in the advisory approach (listening posture, progressive advice, etc.).
For nearly 15 years, Fert has been supporting the development of this approach, which has allowed a gradual extension of the action in 5 regions, the institutionalization of Cap Malagasy in 2016 and a very concrete improvement of the incomes and the assumption of responsibility of the supported farmers.
Objectives
Advisory service, experimentation and training
Technical-economic advice for a sustainable improvement of agricultural practices | Post-harvest management (storage, marketing…) | Support in the structuring of farmers (FOs, farmers unions, training leaders…) |
Actions
An advisory scheme for the professionalization of family farms
• Cap Malagasy intervenes at the commune level where an advisor generally supports between 100 and 200 farmers depending on the needs and potential of the area.
• Through a detailed diagnosis, the advisor identifies with the farmers the challenges and implements very practical actions to meet the needs: training, demonstration plots and breeding, exchange visits to other experiences…
• This technical entry enables the advisor to gain the confidence of farmers and to progressively accompany their economic decisions: choice and diversification of production, investments, storage… Cap Malagasy has created an educational game: the «farming monopoly» which makes it possible to support economic thinking on farms.
• Cap Malagasy is gradually supporting initiatives of farmers structuring at the local level in conjunction with the regional farmers organizations that are members of Fifata.