Project Detail

Reduction of the Impacts of Agrochemicals through Adoption of Environmentally Friendly Technologies In Scab Control In Mokhotlong

The Mokhotlong District Wool and Mohair Growers Association initiated the Scab Control Project in 2005. The project operated in 6 agricultural resource centres covering 14 woolsheds. A revolving fund was established to ensure that dipping drugs are available at all times and for the overall maintenance dip tanks. All 22 dip tanks are immovable are located close to water sources/streams into which waste water and residual chemicals are disposed. Problems associated with the current dipping system include drug loss through leakage/seepage and spillage and contamination of soil and streams in the vicinity of the dipping sites due to the aforementioned losses and poor disposal methods. Apart from the fact that the current dipping method is cumbersome and risky, it is also associated with deaths of weak and unhealthy animals with the result that the number of defaulters is increasing which jeopardizes the scab control programme. The proposed project will address these environmental problems by introducing mobile dipping spray tanks and construction of proper chemical disposal facilities; and capacity building and sensitization of beneficiaries about sound chemical management

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Mokhotlong District Wool and Mohair Growers Asociation

Country:

Lesotho

Area Of Work:

Chemicals

Operational Phase:

OP5- Y1 (Jul 11 - Jun 12)

Grant Amount:

US$ 48,196.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 62,264.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 3,866.00

Project Number:

LSO/SGP/OP5/Y1/CORE/CH/12/08

Start Date:

6/2012

End Date:

6/2014

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

Dipping site for small stock (sheep and goats)

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Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

Both women and men are already involved in scab control as both are livestock farmers. In order to promote more involvement of women, all the associations will ensure that every activity will be allocated to a pair of man and woman with respect to work endurance. Also the executive committee will ensure that it consists of both male and female representative. Herders who are more often than not young boys will be particularly targeted

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Herders who are more often than not young boys will be particularly targeted

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

More often than not residual chemicals or waste water from the dip tanks is left to evaporate and or seep through cracks in the ground or is disposed off into nearby streams thereby contaminating stream water posing a serious threat to freshwater biodiversity and to people who use the water for various purposes. In addition, leakages and spills during dipping results in contamination of soil and to some extent ground water as the water loaded with chemicals seeps into the ground. Furthermore, there are still quite a few defaulters as livestock owners keep weak and sickly animals away from dipping for the fear of deaths associated with travel over long distances and the current dipping method. The proposed intervention seeks to ensure 100% compliance and reduction of the risk of environmental contamination and associated health hazards with the result that quality and quantity of wool and mohair will increase and the negative impacts of environmental contamination reduced resulting in better livelihoods for all concerned.

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Replication of project activities

The Secretariat has been approached by farmers from other districts, for example Thaba Tseka District, and some resource centres within the Mokhotlong district, requesting support to acquire the mobile spray tanks. Since the technology is yet to be endorsed by the responsible government Ministry, replication is still on hold.

Policy Impact

The proposed intervention will not only enhance the efficient and safe use of drugs/chemicals will also reduce the risk of environmental pollution resulting from leakages, spillages and inappropriate disposal. This is very much in line with the areas of priority in POPs and Chemicals management identified by the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants: (i) Integrate management of POPs and chemicals in national socio-economic development programmes. (ii) Increase awareness and education of Basotho communities on the effects of POPs on health and environment. THe intervention is also in line with the national priority of decreasing the rates of mortality and morbidity caused by environmental health hazards and reduction of hazards caused by inappropriate waste disposal

Capacity - Building Component

The specific objectives of the project are to demonstrate and promote environmentally friendly technologies for scab control and to create awareness among and build the capacity of local communities to adopt safe handling and disposal of chemicals. Campaigns were and will continue to be undertaken train and sensitize the community about safe handling and disposal of chemicals. A new technology for scab control will be introduced and piloted at the selected project sites. Residual drugs will be disposed of at identified and managed disposal sites. Farmers and operators at the selected project sites will receive training in sound management of chemicals and in the operation of the mobile dip tanks that are being introduced and in the management of the special disposal sites; and on health and safety measures for those handling chemicals.

Project sustainability

The technology was initiated in 2012 with the actual operationalization taking place 2013. Continuation of the technology and possible up-scaling of the operations is very much dependent on endorsement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security - Livestock Department

Notable Community Participation

The wool and mohair growers association is community based and is essentially a people organization, which derives its mandate from livestock farmers and other members of the community. Views on how to tackle the problems associated with the current dipping method and how they could be addressed were solicited from the farmers themselves. Preliminary sensitization was made on the possibility of piloting an alternative technology. The community will continue to be sensitized about the project through public gatherings and during these gatherings they will choose their representatives who will be involved at all levels of the project. That is, they will be part of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Policy Influence

This is yet to be realized.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

periodic training for operators and farmers and campaigns have been and will continue to be carried out to increase awareness about safe handling and disposal of chemicals.

Project Results

Through this intervention, 36 operators received training in the operation of mobile spray tanks and visited farms in neighboring South Africa as part of knowledge and experience sharing in dipping and control of sheep scab. This technology which is new in Lesotho is operational in 3 resource centers covering 8 woolsheds; and it is slowly gaining popularity as livestock does not have to travel long distances during the dipping season. Appropriate statistics for comparison with others using the old method are yet to be compiled.

With the support of the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Local Government safe disposal sites for residual waste water resulting from the dipping process, were identified and prepared accordingly. As a result contamination of nearby streams has been significantly reduced.

Challenges:

The uptake of the technology by the Department of livestock has not happened as yet they are still observing the effectiveness of the new technology in controlling sheep scab as opposed to the standard technology. However,

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