- $17,432,211Original Compact Project Amount
- $18,857,349Total Disbursed
Estimated Benefits
| Time | Estimated Economic Rate of Return (ERR) over 20 years | Estimated beneficiaries over 20 years | Estimated net benefits over 20 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| At compact closure | 36 percent | 534,044 | $43,050,000 |
Estimated benefits corresponds to $19.5 million of project funds, where cost-benefit analysis was conducted.
Project Description
Historically, Mozambique has been a significant exporter of coconuts and coconut products. However, outbreaks of coconut lethal yellowing disease (“CLYD”) had threatened the industry and the livelihoods of over 1.7 million people in Zambézia and Nampula Provinces. Affected trees stop producing fruit and must be removed and replaced.
The objective of the project was to improve productivity of coconut products and encourage diversification into other cash-crop production. The project aimed to eliminate biological and technical barriers hindering economic growth among farms and targeted enterprises, while supporting diversification into other cash crops and improved farming practices to assist smallholders and producers to recover lost income. In conjunction with tree removal and replacement, the project assisted farmers in adopting new cropping systems and developing alternative sources of cash income during the seven or more years required for the coconut trees to reach productive age. Meanwhile, the project provided technical support to introduce better practices aimed at increasing crop yields. At its conclusion, more than 8,000 hectares with diseased or dead palm trees were cleared in areas affected by the disease, more than 780,000 disease-resistant seedlings were planted and more than 15,000 farmers were trained in coconut pest and disease surveillance and control.
Evaluation Findings
MCC commissioned an independent evaluation of the Farmer Income Support Project (FISP) using both impact and performance methodologies.
The FISP Final Evaluation Report was released on the MCC Evaluation Catalog, available at https://data.mcc.gov/evaluations/index.php/catalog/131/related_materials.
Key Findings include:
Disease and Pest Control
- In the endemic area, training on disease control resulted in project farmers being more likely to know cutting trees is a good way to mitigate disease, while training in the epidemic area did not impact farmers’ knowledge of disease and pest control methods.
- In the epidemic area, the evaluation found trees were healthier and the disease spread rate was slower in treatment zones compared to the comparison area.
Replanting and Tree Survival
- In the endemic zone, project households planted over three times as many disease-resistant coconut seedlings as comparison (8.5 vs. 2.3), with a lower seedling survival rate in the treatment area compared to comparison (43 percent vs. 61 percent).
- In the epidemic area, project households planted over twice as many disease-resistant coconut seedlings as comparison (3.6 vs. 1.8), with no statistical difference in the seedling survival rate (60 percent).
Coconut Production and Crop Diversification
- In the endemic area, project farmers were 70 percent more likely to plant alternative crops than comparison.
- In the epidemic area, project farmers produced 90 kgs more coconuts than comparison, but did not catch up to previous years’ production.
Farm, Non-Farm, and Household Incomes and Sustainability
- In the endemic area, there were small impacts on alternative crop value, but no significant impacts on farm income.
- In the epidemic area, there were no impacts on farm income, but project farmer annual household income increased 68 percent ($92.54) through an increase in non-farm income ($85.30).
- Sustainability of impacts were considered challenged by whether or not seedlings would prove disease resistant and whether or not cost-effective means for sustaining tree cutting could be identified.
Key performance indicators and outputs at compact end date
| Activity/Outcome | Key Performance Indicator | Baseline | End of Compact Target | Quarter 1 through Quarter 20 Actuals (as of Dec 2013) | Percent Compact Target Satisfied (as of Dec 2013) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Development Support | Businesses receiving BDF Grants | 0 | 150 | 119 | 79% |
| Control of Endemic Disease | Farmers trained in planting and post planting management of coconuts
|
8,000 | 28,830 | 360% | |
Farmers trained in surveillance and pest and disease control for coconuts
|
0 | 8,000 | 15,607 | 195% | |
| Improvement of Productivity | Farmers trained in alternative crop production and productivity enhancing strategies
|
0 | 8,000 | 8,958 | 112% |
| Farmers using alternative crop production and productivity enhancing strategies(%) | 0 | 30 | 38 | 127% | |
| Hectares of alternative crops under production | 0 | 8,000 | 7,686 | 96% | |
| Rehabilitation of Endemic Areas | Coconut seedlings planted | 0 | 650,000 | 782,609 | 120% |
| Survival rate of coconut seedlings | 0 | 80 | 76 | 95% |