Technical Papers

The Success Story of Smallholder Dairy in Zambia

CFC Technical Paper No. 62
Final Report of the Project CFC/FIGMDP/14

The CFC/FIGMDP/14 project on "Strengthening the Productivity and Competitivenes of the Smallholder Dairy Sector in Lesotho and Zambia, financed by CFC in partnership with the OPEC Fund for International Development, and implemented by the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust in Lesotho and Zambia, completed its activities in June 2011. The project delivered tangible outcomes in terms of the higher volume and quality of fresh milk  produced and marketed by the co-operatives to the formal dairy market and contributed to the sustained development of the income opportunities for the smallholder dairy farmers, who supplied to the milk collection centers.  

Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton with particular consideration of Africa

CFC Technical Paper No. 60
Final Report of the Project CFC/ICAC/33

The CFC/ICAC/33 project on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton mobilized substantial technical and financial resources from several partners, among which the Faser Institut Bremen, which was also responsible for the implementation of the project, and the European Union, which provided substantial co-financing for the project through its All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme. The CFC project greatly facilitated the work of the ICAC Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton. The project provided the resources to begin quarterly Round Trials among cotton testing laboratories around the world. The CSITC Round Trials serve as a benchmark against which all laboratories can measure their performance to ensure that laboratories in different locations will provide similar test results. By assisting in the establishment of CSITC Round Trials, the project contributed to global cotton industry competitiveness in all countries.

In addition, the project assisted African cotton producing countries to develop the tools for instrument testing of cotton. The project enabled the establishment of two regional technical centers in Africa, each of which has now state-of-the-art equipment and highly competent trained experts, capable of providing extensive services to cotton testing facilities in the Eastern/Southern region of Africa and in Western/Central Africa. The CFC/ICAC/33 project was completed at the end of March 2012. This Technical Paper describes the work of the project.