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| Above are corns on the cobs that will be sold for profit from the work of apprentices at Ebenezer. |
It is an interesting relationship that has been formed between New Horizons and the surrounding community of Nampula, Mozambique. The income data from 400 poultry growers was retrieved and will be analyzed to look at the variability that may come with only growing one crop, chickens.
It is expected that we will see variability with high increases in productivity, then when there is a disease outbreak a low is seen in regard to income. This is considered risky because the stability of the system is unknown. The objective of this research project is to determine various crops that could be used to compliment poultry production by recycling nutrients such as water, manure, and provide more stability economically. There are fringe benefits that would come with crop diversification within the environmental and social sectors, but that was not researched.
The outgrowers are provided with chicks and feed from New Horizons and the growers are expected to take care of the birds until the time where they are sold back to New Horizons to be processed and sold for consumption. The price that the growers receive when the birds are sold back is dependent on a number of variables that include: weight of the birds, total number of birds, mortality rate, and efficiency of production also known as the feed conversion ratio value (FCR). The FCR value determines how much feed the growers are requesting in correlation with the weight of the birds when they are sold back to New Horizons. If the FCR value is higher that >1.80 the growers are paid less, while the lower the FCR value the more the growers are paid.
One challenge with the outgrowers that is being faced is they are selling the feed rather than giving it to the birds and then requesting more feed. It is rather transparent when this is being done by evaluating the FCR values. In the data set of poultry income levels a grower that exceeds and FCR value of >1.80 will be removed because their income does not accurately reflect the potential risks involved with chicken production as it is intended with New Horizons. My work has primarily taken place at Ebenezer, the agriculture apprentice program that teaches various skills, one of which is agriculture.
The first crop to be evaluated was maize and is a staple in the diet
of a majority of the Mozambicans. The total costs of all inputs required
to grow the crop from start to finish, potential yields and price for
maize at market was determined. Maize is unique in the sense that it can
be grown for human or chicken consumption. It was noted that a 50 meter
(m) X 50 m plot of land had 100 kg or approximately 220 lbs of poultry
manure applied as fertilizer.
This is a great way to utilize poultry manure on site that has benefits such as reducing production costs because the manure is free for poultry growers. It may also reduce the chance of ground water contamination that comes with improper disposal of manure. Urea and seed was the only other input that was required to produce this crop. The corn crop was rain fed and required about 3 months of labor before all the plots were fully harvested. The sales of the crop nearly doubled from of last years harvest and were enough to pay for all the inputs twice and then some.
This is a great way to utilize poultry manure on site that has benefits such as reducing production costs because the manure is free for poultry growers. It may also reduce the chance of ground water contamination that comes with improper disposal of manure. Urea and seed was the only other input that was required to produce this crop. The corn crop was rain fed and required about 3 months of labor before all the plots were fully harvested. The sales of the crop nearly doubled from of last years harvest and were enough to pay for all the inputs twice and then some.
Below is an example of a crop rotation that might be used in Nampula, Mozambique.
Above is a recently harvested plot of corn and the stalks have been left
to dry at Ebenezer. Crop rotation is the concept of planning a design
where you have different crops growing in various plots each year to
break pest cycles and regenerate the quality of the soil. This is
especially important in Nampula because of the lack of available
pesticides in addition to the lack of money to purchase most inputs.
This plot has been left fallow for the organic matter in the stalks to
return nutrients to the soil.
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Read more from Olivia at https://mozambiquefarming.wordpress.com/
To find out more about the faculty-led Community Development
in Mozambique summer program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/mozambique
