The aim of the project is to increase smallholder engagement in competitive value chains associated with maize and temperate fruit based farming systems while improving land and crop management practices for the development of sustainable and profitable farming systems. The main target of the project are smallholder farmers in the North West Highlands of Vietnam who have recently acquired market access and are in transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture. To find a balance between capitalising on emerging market opportunities and utilising the natural resource base sustainably, while facing the challenges associated with working in remote, mountainous areas with high ethnic diversity, the project is built on a strong systems approach underpinned by transdisciplinary and participatory processes. Researchable areas include soil erosion management, integrated crop management, value chain analysis and development, and practice change models. The research is mainly of an applied and adaptive nature, involving the integration and adaptation of innovations to suit the diverse conditions of upland communities in the North West, and the design and piloting of location specific development models that will allow for wider application of research outcomes and hence community based impact. In addition, there is an emphasis on capacity building of all stakeholders on research for development methodologies.
The project was launched in May 2009 by means of an Inception Workshop, which aimed at socialising the project design to all project partners, building capacity for participatory, inter-institutional collaborative research, establishing field study teams and workplans, and formulating criteria and guidelines for project site selection. To have a range of institutes and individuals from varying disciplinary backgrounds involved in one project is unique in Vietnam, and requires a period of learning-by-doing, with ample reflection and adaptation of methods, before the full benefits will be felt by everyone. The first year of the project focused on diagnostic research for location specific and needs-based research agenda setting for the rest of the project.
Eight project sites (villages) in Lai Chau and Son La provinces were selected involving stakeholders at all levels and applying a set of criteria relating to market connectedness, natural resource constraints and opportunities, and potential for community engagement. While some of the selected sites have enjoyed longer market engagement than originally envisaged, and some others are still mainly subsistence based, the diversity of project sites will allow for rich learning of how agricultural innovation can instigate different types and levels of change towards sustainable improvement of people's livelihoods.
In each of the project sites, a participatory needs and opportunity assessment was conducted resulting in in-depth understanding of the agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions, constraints and opportunities in the communities, and the establishment of collaborative relationships. This served as a basis for agenda setting of the 2010 field experiments and value chain activities. In addition to in-depth profiles of each project village and community, which are crucial for appropriate targeting while designing development models later on in the project, the study revealed potential scenarios for change to improve NRM and market engagement in maize and temperate fruit based systems in the North West Highlands.
A new method was introduced to the Vietnamese partners to measure erosion using pin stations and sediment traps. Erosion rates measured in 2009 were relatively low as the measurement was commenced after the onset of the wet season and on fields where maize was already established, while also relatively low rainfall intensity occurred this year. The pin method was proven simple and effective, but some concerns about its use in farmers' fields have arisen.
A maize rapid value chain appraisal (RVCA) conducted in Lai Chau Province revealed that most of the maize produced is used on-farm for household consumption or as pig feed and only a small proportion is sold, while in Son La Province most produce is sold. The maize value chain in both locations would mainly benefit from increased but more sustainable production, but does not have much room for diversification, as such, as there are no specific quality requirements and the marketing system for raw produce, particularly in Son La, is well established.
The plum RVCA in Moc Chau district, Son La Province, showed that opportunities exist for improved and diversified plum value chains. While during the past few years farmers primarily sold green plums for the China processing market, better crop management would allow them to produce higher quality plums for the fresh market and brandy production.
In response to the identified needs and opportunities, and anticipated linkages between cropping and market potentials, a range of field experiments and value chain activities were designed for implementation from March 2010 (see Table below). Erosion management, integrated crop management and value chain development activities are closely linked and all provide a mutually beneficial contribution to improvement of the various farming systems in the project sites.
The current situation implies one season of maize cultivation, with associated burning of the stubble and subsequent soil erosion, followed by a fallow period with free grazing throughout the rest of the annual cycle. It has been identified that farmers will gain very little in the short term from soil erosion prevention practices in current production system and are therefore resistant to invest in implementation of these practices. The following system changes are currently explored in the project to provide potential solutions to erosion management with crop diversification and increase in production that will stimulate practice change, and enhance market opportunities:
The use of effective but practically feasible soil management practices, especially mini-terraces and mulch, which will result in reduced erosion and increased moisture retention.
This allows farmers to grow a second crop, preferably a legume, which prevents soil erosion and improves soil nutrition.
This, in turn, diversifies farm output and potentially increases income. Market opportunities for products of these rotation crops will need to be identified and is planned for Year 2.
The project's approach emphasising a system perspective and farmer involvement in research agenda setting appears to be effective in the identification of potential innovations that can support farmers to change their current practices towards more profitable and sustainable farming. This is shown by the committed engagement of farmer researchers in the experiments in most locations, although the benefits on their livelihood will still have to be proven.

Project aim and progress
The project aims to increase smallholder engagement in competitive value chains associated with maize and temperate fruit based farming systems while improving land and crop management practices for the development of sustainable and profitable farming systems. The project targets smallholder farmers in the North West Highlands of Vietnam who recently acquired market access and are in transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture. Following up on the outcomes of the diagnostic phase, the second year of the project involved on-farm and on-station applied technology development trials in maize and temperate fruit systems and value chain strategy research on plums. Field trials and value chain work have begun to be strongly interlinked.
The project team developed a participatory monitoring and evaluation system and initiated its implementation. With the support of an AusAID funded volunteer (VIDA) a project communication strategy and project communication platforms are being developed.
Erosion and ICM trials in maize based system
Teams of field researchers from NOMAFSI and Tay Bac University in collaboration with local extension officers and farmers implemented and evaluated a total of 19 experiments in the maize-based cropping system: 6 in Lai Chau province, 9 in Son La province and 4 at NOMAFSI Tay Bac Research Station. The overall objectives of the trials were to: a) evaluate effectiveness of mini terraces and mulch for erosion prevention and the influence they have on maize growth and yield; and b) evaluate suitability of a range of legume crops for intercropping with maize and assess their impact on maize growth and yield. In addition to these main objectives, new hybrid and non-hybrid varieties of maize were evaluated in a subset of these experiments, and the influence of maize planting density on yield was assessed in one experiment conducted at Tay Bac Research Station.
Results of the trials and of participatory evaluation of the trials showed that both mulch and mini-terraces significantly increased maize yields (between 0.7-0.9 T/ha or 15-25% depending on location) but that increase hardly compensate for increase in labour inputs. The legume crops (black beans, rice beans, soya bean and peanut) had a positive impact on maize growth and yield with an average increase of yield over the 6 experiments of 0.8 T/ha.
Although results demonstrate that tested erosion prevention practices did increase maize yields, the resulting increase in profit is too small to stimulate farmers to adopt them. Increasing farmers' understanding of the necessity of erosion prevention for long term viability of their land is crucial for sustained implementation of these practices.
In 2011, a total of 9 experiments were established: 2 in Lai Chau province, 5 in Son La province and 2 at NOMAFSI Tay Bac Station. A major change in the experimental treatments this year's trials in comparison to the previous year involves the introduction of minimum tillage as erosion prevention method and a reduced emphasis on mini-terraces. Labour demands for the establishment and maintenance of mini-terraces appeared a major limiting factor to adoption in the first year, while the land conditions and cultivation patterns seem well suited for minimum tillage regime.
Temperate fruit trials
Research activities in temperate fruit (TF) cultivation in the project sites include improvement of production in existing orchards and establishment of new orchards. New varieties are trialled in sites where TF is commercially grown (Moc Chau), while both new TF species and varieties are tested in sites with no existing commercial fruit production (La Chau).
All activities for improvement of existing plum production are concentrated in Pieng Sang village (Moc Chau, Son La) and they are coordinated with value chain intervention activities. Main objectives of these activities are to: a) improve canopy management by training trees to get open vase shaped trees and pruning to optimise the number of fruits and their quality; b) improve plant nutrition and orchard floor management (application of fertilisers and mulch); c) establish IPM program in particular area wide fruit fly control, d) optimise harvest time for best fruit quality and postharvest handling (joined activity with VC intervention). Five farmer researchers, who have orchards with young trees (4-6 years old) that are just reaching full productive age and are suitable for canopy training and severe pruning, were selected. The first pruning and addition of fertilisers done in January 2010, resulted in yield and size of plums by May-Jun 2010 that was significantly better than in other farmers' orchards. However, sugar content of plums in the experimental plots did not improve and damage from fruit fly was higher. In 2011, a lot of effort was put in area-wide fruit fly control with monitoring and weekly application of baits. Assessment in May 2011 showed that fruit fly control was successful; however the final results will not be known until the end of the season (July 2011).
New orchards were established in February 2011 after 5 months of soil preparation (September 2010 to February 2011). Trees were planted in holes of 70x70x70 cm filled with compost and manure. In Giang Ma (Tam Duong, Lai Chau) 263 trees were planted in 5 orchards: 213 peach trees of variety DCS1, 10 peach trees of variety Tropic Beauty, 30 nectarine trees of variety Sunwright and 10 persimmon trees of variety Jiro. In Lung Su Phin (Sin Ho, Lai Chau) 178 trees were planted in 5 orchards: 128 peach trees of variety DCS1, 30 nectarine trees of variety Sunwright, 10 plum trees of variety Rubenal and 10 persimmon trees of variety Fuyu. In La Nga, 252 peach trees were planted 160 of which were of variety DCS1 and 92 of variety Tropic Beauty. Trees established well and the first training is planned for July 2011. In April 2011, farmers and extension officers from Son La and Lai Chau visited Bac Ha district in Lao Cai province to learn from farmers that successfully grow peaches as result of a previous ACIAR project.
Value chain development
Following the 2010-2011 identification, shortlisting and value chain investigation of possible target products for value chain building activities, in 2011 the focus is on detailed consumer and market research for plums produced in Moc Chau. Results will provide a basis for demonstration value chain building in 2012. Market research has tracked product flows, product quality, value creation, information systems and governance along a representative sample of plum chains from Moc Chau to Hanoi. Consumer research will identify product and process attributes that consumers value and are willing to pay for. Combining marketing and consumer data enables the identification of improvement projects that will underpin demonstration value chain building activities in 2012. Preliminary results indicate wide variability in product quality attributes at point of sale, with associated variability in consumer satisfaction. Harvest maturity is an important determinant of product variability. CASRAD, HUA and Tai Bac University staff attended training workshops in November 2010 and March 2011 to develop value chain research skills. Further training in analysis and interpretation of research results is planned for November 2011.