MALI LIVESTOCK FOR GROWTH (L4G) AECOM International Development Monthly Report No. 16 20 February 2016 COMPONENT 1. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION 1.1 ENHANCED TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION, DISSEMINATION, AND MANAGEMENT Throughout the month of January and February, L4G Nutrition Specialist sensitized eight schools in Koro and Bankass on using Moringa as a dual-fodder crop (nutritional and commercial) in school gardens. During the school site visits, L4G conducted a needs assessment of children, parents and teachers regarding skills for transplanting Moringa seedlings and tending to the young trees. Based on the needs assessment, L4G distributed 1,002 Moringa plants to eight primary schools to promote human nutrition and a business for tree nursery technicians. January 16: L4G provided 16kg of Dolique seed to the Cereal Value Chain (CVC) Program to enable CVC to test for forage production at three sites: Konna (near Sévaré), Mopti and Djenne. The provision of Dolique seeds to CVC is congruent with L4G’s partner strategy to reinforce millet and sorghum straw with legume crops for improved livestock nutrition. L4G will continue to collaborate with CVC on their forage production results. In December 2015, L4G disturbed 12 bags of 50kg NPK fertilizer to POs in Toroli, Don, Koumbogourou, Bondo. From January 28 - February 4, L4G monitored the POs’ use of the fertilizer and distributed small grants to be used for construction of protective rustic fencing for Dolique production ($40 per site at six sites). The fencing subsidy is needed to ensure that sufficient Dolique demonstration plots are developed to educate producers on the merits of irrigated Dolique production. During January and February, L4G and village animators (VAs) conducted multiplier trainings to 568 L4G producers (including 393 women) in Koro and Bankass Cercles on: animal fattening techniques, group savings and lending, basic calculations for value-added livestock marketing, transparent and democratic management of POs, and PO business activity planning. 1.2 INCREASED ACCESS TO QUALITY INPUTS AND SERVICES On January 15, L4G signed MOUs with Private Vets, Laya Togo, Hamidou Sokanda and Birama Diakité, to outline both parties’ responsibilities for support, resources, coordination, collaboration, accountability, and deliverables. Following the MOU signing, L4G provided vaccines on loan to the three Private Vets for the annual livestock vaccination campaign (loan of 45,000 doses of vaccine Pastovin and 45,000 doses of vaccine Péri T1). The program also provided grant funding to the Private Vets to partially support the vaccination program (fuel, vehicle and motorcycle rental, and funding for awareness campaigns to vaccinate livestock). During this reporting period Private Vets and Auxiliary Vets distributed the following vaccinations: VACCINATION KORO BANKASS TOTAL Small Ruminant Pasteurelosis Vaccine 8,448 2,200 10,648 Beef Cattle Contagious Livestock Pneumonia (PPCB)/ Vaccine T1 1,858 13,800 15,658 The Regional Director of Livestock Veterinary Services (DRSV) conducted a field visit to the three SVPP Private Vets and to the Local Veterinary Services (SLSV) engaged in the annual livestock vaccination campaign between January 29 and 31. The purpose of the visit was to observe the process of the vaccination campaign. The visit helped reinforce the vaccination roles of SVPP and the State: SVPP (private vets) are responsible for conducting vaccinations and the State’s role is to monitor the campaign and to ensure implementation of regulatory procedures. L4G will continue to monitor the relationship and provide updates to USAID on a regular basis. Mali L4G Monthly Report: February 2016 1 Contract: AID-688-C-14-00004 Following an October 2015 forage production multiplier training, POs are now using the knowledge acquired at the training to produce forage. Forage production and storage results are listed in the table below: FORAGE TYPE KORO BANKASS Niébé Hay 93MT 30 MT Groundnut 135 22 MT Cut Straw 230 39 MT Total MT 458 MT 91 MT Members of the women’s cooperative of Dimbal (Dimbal Commune) Bankass Cercle harvest cowpea forage in preparation ILRI Mali Livestock Project Director, Dr. Abdou Fall, met for the upcoming “lean season”. with the L4G COP to discuss the synergies between ILRI efforts and L4G on February 10. ILRI plans to directly specify direct collaboration with L4G in their work plan. Common geographic zones for both programs include Mopti Region (Sio, Sokoura, and Fakala Communes) and Timbuktu. ILRI has as partners Veterinaires sans Frontiers (Timbuktu) and CRS (Mopti). L4G will attend and participate in ILRI’s kick-off workshop scheduled Feb 22- 23, 2016. 1.3 IMPROVED PASTURELAND AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT From January 13 to 30, L4G visited and met with local partners (mayors, decentralized technical services, herders and herder chiefs, livestock associations, village chiefs and local livestock market actors) in Bankass and Koro to map existing water points. The mapping will be included in L4G’s upcoming water point assessment that is scheduled for March 2016. L4G program members met with the MCCAA (Climate Change Adaptation Project) COP Jeff Ratliffe to discuss the synergy possibilities among L4G, the MCCAA, and the ICRISAT Climate Change Program on January 21. L4G is reviewing proposed areas of collaboration and Practical training of surveyors on Livestock Market Data Collection at Koulogon livestock market in Bankass cercle. will determine appropriate combined activities in March. 1.4 IMPROVED COMMUNITY LITERACY, NUMERACY, NUTRITION AND HYGIENE PRACTICES L4G met with representatives of the new USAID projects Harandé, CARE, HKI, and Save the Children on February 11. Discussions centered on how the project can synergistically work together. Simultaneously, on February 1, 2016 the L4G COP met with the “Harande” DFAP COP, Moustapha Gaye to discuss common geographic zones of the two programs and areas of collaboration, with stress on how the two programs can better engage youth. L4G staff in Sévaré met with representatives of the Renforcement des Initiatives Communautaires pour la Résilience (RIC4REC), IRD, and AMASSA AFRIQUE VERTE (local Malian NGO) to discuss developing a gender supported network, notably to improve the resilience of women and youth on February 12. Mali L4G Monthly Report: February 2016 2 Contract: AID-688-C-14-00004 COMPONENT II. LIVESTOCK TRADE 2.1 STRENGTHENED MARKET LINKAGES AND ACCESS L4G met with FEBEVIM on January 20 to collect market information on the Bamako and Kati livestock markets and identified five surveyors to collect market data. Data collection efforts are scheduled for March. 14 surveyors (including two women) were trained on data collection, analysis, consolidation, and diffusion of statistics for livestock markets covered by L4G in Bankass and Koro from January 28 to 30. Market data collection activities are scheduled to commence March. In January, six POs expressed interest in strengthening their coordination as they began to realize the impact of using a value chain approach. The POs approached L4G for assistance with organizing and establishing network to increasing access to business management and value added marketing trainings. On January 20, the Bankass Livestock Fatteners’ Network the network held its first meeting attended by 12 participants from six POs. L4G will continue to provide training and assistance to the network as it grows. On February 1, L4G received the second mechanized forage chopper. The second prototype is manufactured locally in Sévaré and has the advantage of a design that has two forage feeder chutes (hence the potentiality to cut chopping time by approximately 50 percent). Mechanized forage choppers will be used to chop millet and sorghum stalks which can then be enriched with urea to provide more palatable forage to animals being fattened 2.2 DECREASED BARRIERS TO TRADE On February 5, the Livestock Barriers to Trade Study Consultant presented L4G results of the Barriers to Trade Study. The report attributes the abundance of check points (that cause delays among the transportation routes) and check points rent seeking (aimed to extort payments from transporters and livestock traders) as the greatest constraints threatening free trade. Following the staff presentation, L4G COP met with the Consultant to review the final report, his findings, comparison of his study with recent similar reports developed by CILLS, and the study recommendations. L4G encouraged that the final report’s recommendations include a discussion on youth (young men, boys, and teenage girls). The final report is expected to be completed by February 22. COMPONENT IV. STRENGTHENED LOCAL CAPACITIES AND SYSTEMS 4.2 STRENGTHENED CAPACITY OF LIVESTOCK VALUE CHAIN ACTORS On February 4, L4G COP met with FEBEVIM representatives to discuss the upcoming Abidjan Livestock Fair, FEBEVIM’s recent funding award from Swiss Cooperation, and the process of institutional strengthening of FEBEVIM. Once the funding from the Swiss Cooperation is received and FEBEVIM completes its recruitment for new positions, L4G will offer training on management, operations, and transparent accounts training. From February 9 to 20 the L4G Trade and Market Linkages Specialist conducted a follow-up visit to animal fatteners and MFIs to track the status of MFI loan repayments and collect data on the quantity of animals purchased and sold. In mid-November 2015, L4G hosted a participatory stakeholder meeting with Bankass local leaders and FOFBEV members