The professional agronomic and plant protection services intervention would be pursued with the following objectives in mind:

1. Agricultural technicians (8) will assist and train 200 mango farmers to produce good quality fruits for export and the local market as follows:
   1. Train farmers on the use of irrigation for production
   2. Train farmers on the proper use of approved agro-chemicals, dosages and spraying intervals
   3. Conduct field trails on new organic agro-chemicals for the control of Mango Bacterial Blackspot Disease (MBBS)
2. Collect the following data from 200 farmers:
   1. Yield
   2. Incidences of diseases and pests observed at farm level
   3. Number of times sprayed and chemicals used including costs involved
   4. Number of times weeding is practiced
   5. Number of times pruning is done and kinds of equipment used
3. Assist mango farmers to increase their yield from the current average of 1.4 tons per acre to 5 tons per acre
   1. Provide efficient plant protection services to 200 farmers that will increase the incomes of the selected farmers
   2. Provide harvesting services to 15 farmers to reduce post-harvest losses

1. Training of 200 mango farmers to produce good quality fruits for exports and the local market:
   • Train farmers in disease and pest identification
   • Train farmers in preventing post-harvest losses
   • Train farmers in pruning
   • Train gangs in effective use of equipment (mist blowers)
   • Train gangs in use of protective clothing
   • Train gangs on calibration of chemical doses to be applied
   • Train the gangs (65 people) in pruning
   • Train gangs in harvesting quality mangos
2. Data collection
   • Data collection will be done at the beginning of the season in July
   • Data collection will continue all year round and will be done with the assistance agricultural technicians
   • The time will be used to raise awareness with the farmers
3. Assist farmers to increase their yield to 5 tons per acre
   • Conduct soil testing and fertilization
   • Spray to prevent anthracnose infection
   • Spray to control mango stone weevil
   • Spray to control mango bacterial blackspot disease
   • Apply pracrobutasol
   • Apply foliar micro nutrients
   • Undertake flower induction
   • Spray to control flower sucking insect
   • Minor pruning and spraying to control MBBS
   • Fix pheromone traps / protein baits control fruit fly
   • Control weed growth
   • Clear and dispose debris away from field
   • Undertake major pruning
   • Undertake harvesting and loading

The project will produce the following key deliverables at the end of the implementation period:

• Eight agricultural technicians recruited and 200 smallholders farmers trained in the various topics pest & disease control, pruning and postharvest loss prevention
• Sixty-five spray gangs recruited; and 200 farmers receiving continuous services from gangs
• Reduced incidence of pest & diseases recorded and farmers increase yield to 5 tons per acre
• Spray gangs secure long-term agreements with PPEDCO to provide continuous service to the sector