INDEX

PROJECT OVERVIEW ...... 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 4 IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES ...... 6 ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR THE NEXT REPORTING PERIOD ...... 20 LESSONS LEARNED ...... 21 COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT ACTORS ...... 21 MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION ...... 21 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...... 22 ANNEX I: ANNUAL PERFORMANCE DATA TABLE (APDT) ...... i ANNEX I1: Table of Sales of Composite Seed Kits by Seed Companies and Agrodealers ...... ii ANNEX III: Radio Programming Table ...... iii

Image (cover): on distribution day in the community of Chidengue, Barue district, with seeds bought from savings

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

BCC Behavior Change Communications CA Conservation Agriculture CBSP Community Based Service Provider CIP International Potato Center CITT Centre for the Integration of Technology Transfer CSA Climate Smart Agriculture DPASA Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Food Security DPIC Provincial Department of Industry and Commerce FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FAW Fall Armyworm FTF Feed the Future FTs Farmer Trainers GBV Gender Based Violence Gm / CCS Green manure / cover crops or mulch crops GOM Government of Mozambique ICS Institute of Social Communication IDE International Development Enterprises IIAM Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique IMPACTS M & E platform used in RAMA-BC ISPM Superior Mozambique Polytechnic Institute Inova Agricultural Innovations (DAI) IPM Integrated Pest Control K2 Klein Karoo Seed Company MFF Model Family Farm M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Governmental Organizations OFSP Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato OU Observational Unit RAMA-BC Resilient Agricultural Markets Activity - Beira Corridor RAMA- NC Resilient Agricultural Markets activity - Nacala Corridor SDAE District Economic Activity Services SEMEAR FTF project focused on the adoption of improved seeds TOR Terms of Reference TOT Training of Trainers UEM University of Eduardo Mondlane VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association

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PROJECT OVERVIEW Activity start / end date: December 12, 2016 - December 11, 2021 Implementing Partner: Land O'Lakes Venture 37 Project Description: Since December 2016 – the five-year USAID Feed the Future, Resilient Agricultural Markets Activity - Beira Corridor (RAMA-BC) has supported local producers to increase agricultural productivity, profitability, and resilience. RAMA-BC aims to promote the adoption of sustainable, accessible and affordable agricultural technologies and practices by supporting and facilitating private sector involvement to test and develop profitable business models that provide relevant information, consulting services, inputs, market links and finance. The project currently operates in nine districts in Manica and Sofala provinces.

RAMA-BC consists of four components: 1. Behavior Change Communication (BCC) - development and implementation of a comprehensive BCC strategy, multimedia campaign and local promotion through private partners and civil society; 2. Model Family Farms (MFF) - provision of business consultancy and technical assistance services through a network of community-based demonstration fields and one-hectare Observation Units (based in agricultural colleges); 3. Sustainable Extension Services - strengthening of private extension services through Model Family Farms and local and community-based service providers, in coordination with public extension service networks; and 4. Strengthened Market Systems – tailored technical assistance to private sector partners and subsidies to stimulate innovation in the agricultural sector.

Geographic Coverage: RAMA-BC currently targets nine FTF districts in the Beira Corridor's area of influence; namely Gondola, Chimoio, Barué, Sussundenga, Vanduzi, Macate (province of Manica); Nhamatanda, Buzi and Dondo (Sofala province). In addition to the expansion to Sofala, the project also expanded to the Dombe administrative post in the Sussundenga district.

Map 1: Map of RAMA-BC coverage by district in Manica and Sofala provinces. Photo 1: Ferry across the Buzi River at Guara, February

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During this reporting period, October– December 2020, RAMA-BC continued implementation in Cyclone Idai affected Sofala Province districts for the second consecutive season. At the end of December tropical storm Cha lene passed through the project area, resulting in heavy rainfall and localized flooding. This provided yet more disruption to farming systems and reemphasized the importance of farmers having clear risk mitigation strategies to combat increasingly variable weather patterns. Excess rain in the center of the country and prolonged dry weather in the north and south of Mozambique has rendered resilience ever more urgent. The project is accelerating adaptation through multiplication of improved, disease resistant varieties of cassava and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato with 25 producers on nearly 7ha to benefit approximately 20,000 farmers in 2021. Diversification as part of the ‘whole farm system’ approach includes small livestock productivity. As part of a pilot to improve small ruminant supplementation availability, the project partnered with 11 producers in establishing nearly 2.5ha of drought tolerant varieties of forage crops; lablab and velvet bean. The regenerative agriculture/livestock consultant, visited the project in December triggering a series of actions that will result in learning from and establishing examples of improved management and regeneration of pastures, raised productivity of cattle, pigs, goats and poultry of scalable technologies applicable to both small scale and commercial sectors. RAMA-BC has established that intercropping maize with legumes improves soil health and productivity. A missing piece of the puzzle is availability of the right types of legume seed through private sector agrodealer networks. Phoenix Seeds and Klein Karoo have marketed this quarter nearly seven metric tons of maize/intercrop composite seed kits through agrodealers, at a value of more than $9,400. Although this was a difficult year to launch such an initiative, as it coincided with widespread free seed distribution, this model has been shown to work and will encourage awareness, sales, and adoption of intercrop combinations. Partnerships with public and educational institutions fulfill a key advocacy role and expose decision makers to the practice of CSA. RAMA-BC has partnered with IIAM (Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique), UEM (University of Eduardo Mondlane), two Centres for the Integration of Technology Transfer (CITTs) and others, to conduct research effect of intercropping on maize yield and on FAW (Fall Army Worm) control through the installation of 13 trial plots across three districts. RAMA-BC has also partnered with the government agricultural extension service - District Economic Activity Services (SDAE), who have set up, for another season, 17 CSA/intercrop demonstration plots of their own. In this quarter, RAMA-BC produced another four short training videos on nutrition, botanical control of pests (one on jackbean, the other on neem) and rapid sweet potato multiplication. This will complete a library of 16 training videos that also cover additional topics on CSA and Savings Groups for dissemination in small, dispersed groups. The library of videos is currently being uploaded to YouTube. An overview by component: Component 1. RAMA-BC conducted a total of 70 events in the reporting period, reaching a wide audience through radio programs and spots, and community dialogue. These radio programs included COVID-19 prevention using cloth masks and the handwashing tippy tap to complement the tippy tap demos set-up earlier in the year. Videos on nutrition, sweet potato multiplication and the spraying of jackbean extract to control FAW were finalized. These training videos have been compiled onto flash drives to share with partners and final year university students.

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Component 2. This quarter, RAMA-BC established, together with partners from SDAE and Marera College, 123 MFFs in Manica and Sofala provinces, where CSA techniques are being modeled and evaluated under farmers own conditions. Twenty-two of these MFFs were setup by government partners and agricultural colleges. Most Sofala MFFs were attacked last year by grasshoppers. However, this year, the project was better prepared to support project participants, having benefited from research done by UEM on jackbean extract as an effective bio control method. RAMA-BC is diversifying livelihoods, post Cyclone Idai, to increase climate resilience and adaptation; whilst reducing dependency on maize as the principal staple crop through the planting out of nearly 4 hectares of two varieties of cassava - resistant to cassava mosaic disease (Chinhembwe and Amarelinha – released by IIAM; and an expanded three hectares of five varieties of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (Delvia, Rocha, Caromex, Amelia, Cecilia), released by CIP (International Potato Center). Twenty-five producers are growing out the materials and irrigated through the dry period. Component 3. Engagement with four seed companies, seven universities, colleges and a CITT - which included seven Observation Units that demonstrate practical CSA techniques to students - along with 14 student interns; five community radios, government SDAEs in five districts has helped to broaden the reach of CSA through other extension networks and actors. The project also continues to partner with the University of Eduardo Mondlane on testing the efficacy of cover crops in repelling FAW moths. RAMA- BC has over the course of the last quarter trained 354 people on CSA, of which 199 are new participants.

IIAM has also partnered with RAMA-BC, to directly measure and monitor yield and biomass1 production results from nine MFFs in Nhamatanda, Barue and Dondo districts and analyze data collection from a further six MFFs in Gondola and Macate districts; this season’s results will be reported in May. This season more autonomy has been given to IIAM, so that their independence and objectivity is reinforced, creating sustainability, and raising the quality of the evidence gathered. Component 4. RAMA-BC has continued to partner with four seed companies, showcasing their varieties through the network of MFFs. Phoenix, at its own expense, has established 9ha (3ha of two varieties of lablab and 6ha of jackbean) for both trials and multiplication. Once lablab efficacy has been determined, Phoenix will include the best variety of lablab in the composite seed kits to market for 2021. Phoenix and K2 marketed over 1,000 x 7kg maize/intercrop composite seed kits through 11 agrodealers in three different districts. This initiative is being supported by demo plots, planted next to each agrodealer, showing the intercrop configuration. These plots were planted two months before seed sales began; to convey a greater visual impact. Signage, package leaflet inserts and a radio advertisement on three local stations completed the promotion effort. This quarter RAMA-BC trained nearly 600 people (67% women) on gender equity, nutrition, and Savings Group management. RAMA-BC’s Savings Groups hosted visits from the Gorongosa Project and the Transform Nutrition project from Nampula, also sharing training and video materials. These Savings Groups are helping to facilitate community-based entrepreneurship and access to improved inputs. In this quarter, 23 Savings Groups with 626 members (58% women), mobilized $17,514 in savings and loaned out $8,859 to members to finance a diverse range of activities, both consumption2 and business related3. Eleven groups ‘cashed out’ $14,801 to 212 members (67% women) at the end of their cycle.

1 Biomass production has an impact on improving Soil Organic Matter content, which is a factor in soil health 2 Examples: Roofing sheets, household furniture, school fees, motorbikes 3 Examples: Horticultural inputs, agrodealers, inventory for small roadside stalls 5

IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES 3.1 Component I: Behavior Change Communication In this quarter, RAMA-BC used communication to change behavior, to increase the awareness of small producers about minimum tillage as a way of reducing the labor requirement, minimizing soil disturbance maintaining soil cover, and use of improved seed to increase productivity. These topics were addressed in all districts where RAMA-BC implements its activities. Also, within the quarter, RAMA-BC addressed topics such as the frequent use of tippy taps as a more effective and economical form of hand washing for the prevention of COVID-19, the correct use of the cloth (capulana) mask and when and how to wash hands. Topics raising awareness for behavior change included 70 events carried out through the transmission of radio programs, radio spots and related follow-up community dialogues. Radio programs and spots are broadcast three times a week, three times on the day (timetable in Annex I). The table below summarizes the number of events for each district.

Table 1: Number and type of awareness events by district

District Radio shows Community Dialogue Radio Spots No. of events

Chimoio 2 2 2 6

Gondola 4 4

Barué 2 7 2 11

Macate - 6 - 6

Suusundenga 3 2 2 7

Vanduzi - 9 - 9

Nhamatanda 2 0 1 3

Dondo 1 8 1 10

Buzi - 14 - 14

Total 10 52 8 70

RAMA-BC held 10 events through radio programs with themes related to: minimum tillage, use of improved seeds, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), the impact of climate change and strategies used by RAMA-BC to adopt these changes and eight events through spots (a shorter version of a program) with themes related to the use of the recommended crop spacing, sowing of crops and intercrops. These radio programs and radio spots were carried out in the five districts where RAMA-BC has partnerships with community radio stations.

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Table 5: OFSP Area Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Multiplication field area (m2) Varieties Nhamatanda Buzi Dondo Total Rocha 1,700 2,500 4,200 Amelia 10,114 1,250 1,400 12,764 Cecilia 0 0 2,000 2,000 Caromex 200 5,000 1,250 6,450 Delvia 0 1,250 2,050 3,300 Total 12,014 10,000 6,700 28,714

Photo 6: , RAMA-BC field facilitator, in the field of orange-fleshed sweet potato multiplication in Buzi district.

Since the major constraint for animal production is the availability of feed in the dry period, the project distributed 200 kg of velvet bean and lablab to approximately 15 livestock producers and IIAM, 11 of whom have successfully established an initial 2.5ha, which was planted as soon as the rains fell.

Table 6: Area of multiplication of velvet bean by district Producer Name Distrito Area (m2) Vanduzi 960 Vanduzi 1,024 Vanduzi 926 Dondo 5,000 Sussundenga 1,133 Buzi 2,500 Buzi 1,250 Barue 2,500 Barue 5,010 Manica 1,250 Barue 2,025 Total 23,578 Map 2: Location of cassava, sweet potato and velvet bean

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ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR THE NEXT REPORTING PERIOD The following activities are planned in the next quarter (January - March 2021):

4.1 Component I: in Behavior Change Communication: • Broadcast radio programs in the five districts with specific themes (news coverage in the identified communities and testimonies) • Radio programs on (nutrition, debate on domestic violence) • Produce video on gender and GBV • Transform videos into audio for radio broadcast • Promote videos already made on television channels and other social media • Take photos of RAMA-BC's activities for communications

4.2 Component II: Model Family Farms: • Replace cover crops (jackbean and lablab) in MMFs where they have been attacked by pests • Distribute OFSP vines to producers in the Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda districts in partnership with SDAEs • Exchange experiences with livestock producers in Zimbabwe ( ) and Chimanimani communal area and South Africa (Bela Bela) • Construct chicken and pig tractors, daytime and nighttime mobile pens in partnership with CITT Bandula. • Monitor cassava and OFSP fields. • Monitor forage fields (Mucuna and lab lab).

4.3 Component III: Sustainable Extension Services: • Monitor demonstration fields at the SDAEs and CITTs • Conduct training on the production and application of Biopesticide based on jackbean and neem for small producers • Conduct training on the production and application of Biopesticide based on jackbean and neem for students at educational institutions and Centre for the Integration of Technology Transfer • Conduct field days at MMFs and OUs

4.4 Component IV: Strengthened market systems: • Follow-up on sales of composite seed kits and respective payments by agrodealers to seed companies • Follow up and ´coach´ RAMA-BC partner agrodealers • Monitor the establishment of signage in the Fields and MMFs and report to companies • Report sales processes • Continue to link savings groups to seed companies • Connect agrodealers to input fairs • Explore partnership with Café de Manica • Explore partnership between CITT Bandula and Municipality of Chimoio with earthworms and use of organic matter in home gardens • Complete analysis and reporting of Seed System Assessment Survey

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4.5 Cross-cutting: Gender and Nutrition: • Demonstrations of cooking with local available foods (on field days) • Lecture on gender using exercises from the gender manual, • Training on Gender, Nutrition and Savings (through video projection) • Strengthen existing savings groups and improve liaison with buyers of agricultural products

LESSONS LEARNED

• Jackbean as a pesticide. the jackbean extract, a botanical insecticide, when put to ferment for 3 days was effective for the control of locusts in the initial phase, while for the control of locusts in the adult phase it was necessary for the extract to soak for 7 days • Building seed company/agrodealer networks is a painstaking process. But a necessary one for the formal seed market, and one that can be easily undone by free or subsidized seed distribution • The formal seed market is a small percentage of a dynamic informal market. Non traded seed from crops like cassava, sweet potato and legumes are not available in the formal market but are an important part of household food security and we need to understand better how to improve access and flows of new improved varieties in the informal market

COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT ACTORS Links with relevant GOM ministries The project continues to have a good relationship with government institutions: with IIAM (Performance measurement of RAMA-BC value chains for validating CSA techniques); SDAE (Monitoring of project activities); UEM (FAW tests for validation of techniques). The project has initiated partnerships with 2 CITTs, as reported in the main body of this document. Links to other USAID projects RAMA-BC carried out visits to exchange experiences with some partners such as the Café de Gorongosa project represented by in October 2020 in the Nhamatanda and Transform Nutrition district of Nampula represented by in November 2020 in the districts of Buzi, Nhamatanda and Dondo. These two partners registered as project activities in the savings area.

MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION Employees Extract from Dombe, where he was caught in an ambush, relocating him to Dondo, where he will support Adaptation of Activity Nothing to report

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MONITORING AND EVALUATION PAI (Practice Area Indicators) Report prepared. Data cleaning and data analysis was carried out on the research on Seed Market Systems that took place at the end of September 2020. Below are some key results:

• Only a small part of the small-scale producers managed to buy their seed (15%) without any assistance (non-voucher), with a good part of them acquiring their seed through their own stock (59.8%) and other 15.8% acquiring it through direct (free) distribution by NGOs and Government. As a policy recommendation to USAID, RAMA-BC believes that: the informal market needs to be considered as an important market player; the range of seeds and new varieties needs to be expanded from a narrow focus on hybrids and grains/cereals; the work of connecting seed companies with local agrodealer networks should be prioritized as a market response when natural disaster such as floods or drought occur; the free or subsidized distribution of seeds, following a disaster, should be used as a last resort, giving the market a chance to respond. • Of the small producers who managed to buy seeds (15%), only 6% obtained their seed from agrodealers and 9.8% bought it from local markets. A large portion of small producers keep seeds at home (59%), other results from distributions made by NGOs (10.8%) and Government (5%). A minority counted on neighbors, community groups, etc. to obtain a seed. • The districts that most benefit from seed distribution were the districts affected by Idai, with Nhamatanda (34.4%), followed by Sussundenga (24%), Buzi (15%), with women being the biggest beneficiaries with 53.6%. • The seeds distributed free were in a higher percentage for maize, cowpea, and pigeon peas seed with a total of 80.8% of respondents. Cassava and sweet potato crops were distributed in an insignificant amount, but in a percentage, it does not mean compared to other crops (rice, soya, and tomatoes) with 16%. • The total number of respondents who confirmed that they benefited from seed distribution, include NGOs (63.2%), Government (35.2%) and a small portion of others (1.6%). Of the respondents 76% confirm that they received distribution of all seeds in 2019, which indicates that they were beneficiaries of Idai related distributions.

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ANNEX I1: Table of Sales of Composite Seed Kits by Seed Companies and Agrodealers

Purchase Amount Sale value of Sale price of price of Kits paid by Agrodealer Number Variety - Qty -Kgs Qty / kg of Kits by Kits by Provider Type of Beans by RAMA for name of kits Corn of Corn beans Companies Agrodealer Agrodealer beans (meticais) (meticais) (meticais) (meticais)

108 Matuba 540 pigeon pea/cowpea 108 43,200 18,360 61,560 54,000 108 Matuba 540 pigeon pea/cowpea 108 43,200 18,360 61,560 54,000 PHOENIX 108 Matuba 540 pigeon pea/cowpea 108 43,200 18,360 61,560 54,000 80 Namuli 400 pigeon pea/cowpea 80 70,000 13,600 83,600 88,000 Subtotal 404 2,020 404 199,600 68,680 268,280 250,000 cowpea 50 ZM 250 50 2,750 7,000 30,750 28,750 cowpea 24 PGS61 120 24 18,000 3,360 21,360 21,000 100 PGS61 / ZM 500 pigeon pea/cowpea 100 47,500 17,000 64,500 72,500 100 PGS61 / ZM 500 pigeon pea/cowpea 100 61,250 17,000 78,250 72,500 60 ZM 300 pigeon pea 60 28,517 12,000 40,517 34,500 K2 cowpea 100 PGS61 / ZM 1,000 100 51,575 14,000 65,575 232,500 50 PGS61 / ZM 250 pigeon pea 50 23,750 10,000 33,750 36,250 56 PGS / ZM 280 pigeon pea 56 40,350 11,200 51,550 40,600 50 ZM 250 pigeon pea 50 23,750 10,000 33,750 28,750 30 ZM 150 pigeon pea 30 14,250 6,000 20,250 17,250 Subtotal 620 3,600 620 308,942 100,560 409,502 555,850 TOTAL (meticais) 1024 5,620 1,024 508,542.00 169,240.00 677,782.00 805,850.00 TOTAL US$ 7,063.08 2,350.56 9,413.64 11,192.36

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