MONTHLY FEED THE FUTURE REPORT USAID CEREAL VALUE CHAIN PROJECT (AID-688-C-13-00002) AUGUST 2015 REPORT

DISCLAIMER

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

INTRODUCTION

This report covers the period from July 20 to August 20, 2015. The main activities carried out by the USAID Cereal Value Chain (CVC) project during this period were the following:  CVC field extension agents completed the disseminations of improved production technologies for rice, mil- let and sorghum in region  Producer organization (PO) training on rice plot leveling in Korientzé  Field mission to assess damage to the Gladiè dam in the commune of Ganadougou  Fertilizer distribution monitoring mission for millet in the area of Koro and Bankass  Small, Medium Size Enterprise (SMSE) managers business management training workshop in Segou  Mission to meet with Sell More For More (SMFM) training beneficiaries’ POs in to evaluate the training program  Data Quality Assessment (DQA) with USAID/ at the CVC office  Internal DQA by ACDI/VOCA’s Regional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist  Signed an agreement with radios to broadcast messages on improved technologies such as Intensive Rice Sys- tem (SRI), , Millet/Sorghum, Use of pesticides and packages handling  CVC Year 3 annual work planning and team building workshops  Participation in a presentation by the Mopti Regional Directorate of Agriculture of the 2015-2016 agricultural campaign plan  Participation in the USAID funded projects meeting in Mopti  Meeting between USAID/Mali Mission Director, World Food Programme (WFP) and CVC  Meeting with USAID Washington Digital Financial Services Program team

IR 1: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN IRRIGATED AND DRYLAND SYSTEMS INCREASED Completion of CVC field extension agents support missions to disseminate improved technologies of rice, millet and sorghum in Sikasso region: During the week of August 6-12, 2015, CVC based Sikasso millet and Sorghum Specialist Mr. Pièrre Coulibaly and acting Rice Specialist conducted a mission in the Sikasso region aimed to support CVC field extension agents in the large-scale dissemination of rice, millet and sorghum improved technologies for better production, and raise awareness on the appropriate use of pesticides and the packaging. As a result of this mission, the same specialists conducted practical training sessions in the millet, sorghum and rice fields where they covered topics on crops density, thinning, appropriate period to fertilize the crops. During this mission, these same specialists raised the PO members’ awareness on the appropriate use and handling of pesticides. In total, 219 producers includ- ing 81 women were trained in 14 POs (11 millet and sorghum and 3 rice); 7 POs from the communes of Kaboila (2), Finkolo Gagadougou (2) and (3) in the district of Sikasso and 7 POs from the communes of (3), Kolonigué (3) and Zébala (1) district of .

Training on rice plot leveling in Korientzé: During the week of August 5-7, 2015, CVC Mopti organized training sessions on rice-plot leveling for POs in Korientzé and Youwarou. The participants from 22 POs in Youwarou were transported to Korientzé because of dif- ficulty accessing the area. Participants were 50 producers from Youwarou and 63 producers including 15 female from 23 POs of Korientzé. The training was conducted by the trainer of SOCOFON/Niono, the company who produces the rice plot leveling bar. Field extension agents from the Regional Directorate of Agriculture (DRA), two CVC field extension agents (Youwarou and Korientzé), the training specialist and the irrigation specialist of CVC Mopti and a CVC irrigation intern also participated in the training. As a result of the training, six pieces of levelling equipment were ordered by the participants including 4 from POs and two from individual producers.

Field mission to assess damage to the Gladiè dam in commune of : On August 2, 2015 upon invitation of the Mayor of Finkolo Ganadougou commune (one of the concentration areas of CVC interventions), a team composed of the Mayor, the secretary of the dam management committee, CVC Si-

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kasso Coordinator and CVC Sikasso Millet and Sorghum Specialist visited a damaged dam in Gladiè village. The ob- jective of the mission was to assess the damages caused by the heavy rains on July 29, 2015. At the end of the mis- sion, CVC staff provided recommendations to Mayor, producers and the dam management committee members. One of the recommendations was to contact the constructor of the dam, as well the regional office for rural engineering to address eventual design or construction errors.

Fertilizer distribution monitoring mission for millet in the area of Koro and Bankass: From July 22-24, 2015, the CVC Mopti based millet and sorghum specialist led a mission to record the quantity of fertilizer provided to POs in Bankass and Koro. By July, 24 2015, the expressed needs were covered for 52% only (7272 bags or 363.6 MT) while 78 POs had expressed a need for 13,925 bags (696.25 MT). The explanation is that the volume of government subsidies for fertilizers fell sharply in 2015. For example, in Bankass area the quantity of sub- sidized fertilizer was reduced from 2,000 MT in 2014 to 1,000 MT in 2015. NB: there is not a shortage of fertilizers in the market, but more difficult to access by POs because of their limited financial resources and the typically available subsidized fertilizers.

IR 2: MARKETS AND TRADE EXPANDED Small, Medium Size Enterprise (SMSE) managers’ business management training workshop in Segou: During the week of August 2-6, 2015, USAID CVC Project Financial Services Manager along with of d intl and the Financial Mobilization Specialist of CVC Sikasso organized a training workshop at the Hotel Esplanade of Segou. The objective of this training was to strengthen capacities of SMSE’s managers and owners in: i) develop- ment of action plans in the areas of business management to address their identified weaknesses, ii) identification, description and detailed evaluation of their business financing needs, iii) identification of financial service providers in Mali and abroad that can provide credit to SMSEs, and iv) use of CVC services provided to MSMEs in the value chains. In total, 13 people participated including 2 women from 10 SMSEs (4 from Mopti, 3 from Segou, 2 from Si- kasso and 1 from ). At the end of the training, each enterprise has developed a performance improvement plan. CVC will monitor the implementation of those plans and will assist the enterprises to develop eventual loan applications.

IR3: RESILIENCE OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS INCREASED Vulnerable communities’ technical interventions: After discussion with USAID/Mali on the shortfalls about the targets for vulnerable communities assisted by CVC, CVC prepared an additional training program aimed at assisting the vulnerable communities and households in the project interventions areas. The program targeted at vulnerable households will focus on the post-harvest practices, family storage, the use of weeding equipment on SRI plots and the preparation of organic manure for fertilization.

IR4: LOCAL CAPACITIES AND SYSTEMS STRENGTHENED Mission to meet with beneficiaries of the Sell More For More (SMFM) training in Sikasso Region: From July 21-22, 2015 ACDI/VOCA’s HQ based Training Director, , along with the Training and Capacity Building Director of CVC Bamako, and the two training specialists from CVC Sikasso and Mopti conducted a brief field site mission to evaluate the SMFM training program. The mission was accompanied by CVC field extension agents and the CVC Sikasso coordinator. The team visited the villages of Djambala (District and commune of ) and Siramana (District of Sikasso, commune of Fama) to obtain feedback from benefi- ciaries of the SMFM training. Discussed were knowledge acquired during the training sessions, training methods, methods of knowledge sharing with other PO members after the training sessions, activities undertaken my PO members after the training, suggestions for improvement of the modules SMFM, and the beneficiaries’ needs for fur- ther capacity building by CVC. Members of the two POs in Djambala (Nieta and Sigidia) described the SMFM training modules as very useful for their organization. Producers increased their understanding of cooperative management through board renewal as well as better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the board and members within the PO. In Siramana village the team met with two POs (Benkadi and Agro-Nyeta, gathering 12 men and 8 women). There, the PO members emphasized the importance of shared interests between members and the social responsibility of the PO. About the training the following points were brought forward as key elements: tracking of PO expenses and rev- Monthly Feed the Future Report 2

enues, collective activities, the roles and responsibilities of the PO management board, management and marketing tools, the used training methods as well as the participative approach in modules. In Sirimana, the four cooperatives that have participated in the training, organized replication sessions to the benefit of their members. The PO Agro- Nyeta of Siramana shared with the rice PO of the Sirimana the modules 1 (cooperative organization), 2 (marketing) and 3 (record keeping). Module 4 (management) was not yet shared with members because of the beginning of the raining season. As a positive change after the SMFM training, the cooperative Agro-Nyeta of Siramana renewed the cooperative board and two women were elected in the new board. Besides the positive feedback, two difficulties were mentioned by producers: organization of training sessions at the eve of the raining season, and illiteracy preventing some members to take notes during the sessions. This last point stressed the necessity of a literacy training to enable future participants to better understand the training modules. Some farmers recommended improvements of the SMFM modules by better taking into account the realities of the intervention zones. Others suggested the organization of refreshment training for graduated participants and training of new PO members. Field extension staff that participated in the mission stressed the point of feeling more confident after having learned and conducted the SMFM training. The CVC Sikasso training specialist suggested improvements of the modules by including more details on the advantages and disadvantages of collective and individual sales. CVC training specialists will organize work sessions to further improve the SMFM modules for Year 3. It was also suggested that farmer lead- ers be trained to replicate the training under the supervision of the field extension agents.

MONITORING & EVALUATION Data Quality Assessment (DQA) meeting at CVC office: On August 6, 2015, CVC’s COP, and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager received CVC’s COR and M&E Specialist, to conduct a DQA on the CVC indicators. The group reviewed CVC’s M&E system and asked about four specific indicators: gross margin, value of private investment, number of jobs to be created and vulnerable households. USAID/Mali team checked the data traceability and the data collection tool for the four above mentioned indicators. At the end of the meeting, the DQA team requested that CVC speed up with the collection of information related vulnerable households before the end of the fiscal year.

Internal Data Quality Assessment (DQA) by ACDI/VOCA’s Regional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist: From August 6- 21, 2015, ACDI/VOCA’s Regional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist, provided Short Term Technical Assistance (SSTA) through an internal data quality assessment for CVC project. Dur- ing this first week, he briefed CVC staff on ACDI/VOCA global M&E system in SharePoint, reviewed CVC’s current database, data collection process and provided an overview of the DQA. He drew the attention of CVC staff to the importance of M&E, accurate data collection and thorough analysis. A field mission will take place in Sikasso region from August 16-20 to complete the DQA with CVC Sikasso office and 2 POs. Due to security concerns, a DQA field mission to Mopti was cancelled at this time.

COMMUNICATION Agreement with radios to broadcast messages on improved technologies (SRI, Millet/Sorghum, use of pes- ticides and handling of empty packaging: On Saturday August 8, 2015, CVC Sikasso arrived at an agreement with Radio Kénédougou of Sikasso to contribute to the large scale dissemination of improved technologies through the development and broadcasting of messages for producers in the project intervention areas. CVC prepared messages for the agricultural production season campaign on improved technologies such as SRI, management practices of sorghum, millet and rice as well as the pesticide use and packages handling. Radio Kénédougou will partner with six other radio stations: Regional Station of ORTM Si- kasso, Radio Yeredon of Koutiala, Radio Wassoulou of , Radio Shinya of , Radio Folona of and Radio Kafo Kan of Bougouni. The messages will be broadcasted following fixed times every two days: 07h30 – 08 h00, 16h45 – 17h00 and 19h30 – 20h30 .

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT CVC Year 3 annual work planning workshop at Grand Hotel of Bamako: From July 28-30, 2015, CVC staff from Bamako, Sikasso and Mopti joined forces to identify and discuss key strategies and activities for CVC’s Year 3 work plan. The effort was supported by ACDI/VOCA HQ staff , CVC Project Director and , Training Director. In addition to the majority of the CVC project staff, ACDI/VOCA’s partners G-FORCE, Nyèta Conseils, and d intl participated as well as two observers from IOS Partners. The workshop opening ceremony was chaired by , Head of Accelerated Economic Growth Team of USAID/Mali accompanied by , CVC Project Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at USAID/Mali. During his introductory words, reminded the participants about the context of the Feed the Future (FtF) initiative and the role of the CVC project to reduce the food crisis in Mali. invited the participants to build further on the promising results of Year 2. After a review of the previous year’s successes and challenges, the participants discussed strategic questions like exten- sion of the intervention area, orientation on markets and private sector, private investments in agriculture, transfer of responsibilities to producer organizations, and better inclusion of vulnerable households. Activities were proposed to meet the targets of Year 3, and the CVC management team continues to work on developing the Year 3 annual work plan for draft submission to USAID/Mali in early September.

COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION Participation to the 2015-2016 agricultural campaign plan presentation by DRA in Mopti: In the conference room of the Regional Directorate of Agricultural of Mopti and under chairman of the Governate of Mopti, DRA Mopti sponsored a workshop on July 21, 2015 with the objective to present the harmonized 2015-2016 agricultural campaign plan for . In total, 47 participants including three women took part to this work- shop. The participants were from the Governate of Mopti , Conseil Régional de Mopti, Préfecture Mopti, Ministère du Développement Rural, Direction Nationale de l’Agriculture (DNA), Direction Nationale des Productions et Indus- tries Animales (DNPIA), Direction Nationale de la Pêche (DNP), Direction Nationale de la Protection des Végétaux (DNPV), the DRA (Direction Régionale de l’Agriculture), the Service Régional de Protection des Végétaux (SRPV), ORM (Office Riz Mopti, Direction Régionale des Productions et Industries Animales (DRPIA), Direction Régionale des Services Vétérinaires (DRSV), Direction Régionale de la Pêche (DRP), Direction Régionale des Eaux et Fo- rêts(DREF), Direction Régionale de Génie Rural (DRGR), Direction Régionale des Domaines et du Cadastre (DRDC), Direction Régionale d’Assainissement et du Contrôle des Pollutions et Nuisances (DRACPN), Direction Régionale de la Promotion de la Femme de l’Enfant et de la Famille (DRPFEF), Direction Régionale de la Planifica- tion de la Statistique de l’Informatique de l’Aménagement du territoire et la Population (DRPSIATP), World Food Programme (WFP), Fédération des Femmes Rurales (FFR), Coordination Régionale des jeunes ruraux (CRJR), Coordination Régionale des Organisations Paysannes Agricoles (CROPA), Chambre Régionale d’Agriculture (CRA), Regional Directorate of Système d’Alertes Précoces (SAP), Coordination Régionale de la Société Civile (CRSC). USAID CVC Project was represented by the Mopti based Post-harvest Specialist.

Participation in the fourth USAID funded projects meeting in Mopti: On July 28, 2015, USAID funded projects in Mopti held their monthly meeting at the Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) project. The fourth meeting of USAID projects implement- ing in the Mopti region was held under the chairmanship of the regional SPRING coordinator. The participants of the meeting included staff from SPRING, WASH Plus, Livestock for Growth (L4G), Asian Vegetable Research and De- velopment Center (AVRDC), Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and AGA KHAN Foundation, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and CVC Project Mopti (CVC was represented by the gender intern as the majority of CVC project staff were in the work planning session in Bamako). The agenda of the meeting focused on the adoption of the previous meeting minutes, on the presentation of new participants such as CRS, Aga Khan Foundation and IFDC, on the possibilities for partnerships and synergies between projects, and on the preparations for the global week of breastfeeding in early August.

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Meeting between USAID, World Food Programme (WFP) and CVC: On August 10, 2015, a meeting took place at USAID/Mali between USAID’s Mission Director and the Accelerated Economic Growth team, WFP Mali’s Deputy Country Director and the Principal Purchase Officer, and CVC’s COP and the Value Chan Competitiveness Director. The ongoing collaboration between CVC and WFP Mali and subse- quent results was discussed. The Mission Director’s message to all parties was that the collaboration between CVC and the WFP is an excellent example of linking “development” to “humanitarian assistance” and deserves further attention.

Meeting with Digital Financial Services Program team: On August 6, 2015, USAID CVC Bamako team met with the Digital Financial Services Program represented by , from Mobile Solutions Technical Assistance and Research (mSTAR) and , Digital Financial Advisor from USAID Washington. The objective of the meeting was to learn from USAID CVC Project experience in mobile financial services. CVC staff shared that, apart from using the “card system” to buy fuel for the project vehicles at the Total stations, no digital financial transaction systems are used. A number of possible use of IT and finance tools were discussed during the meeting (such as crop insurance, input insurance, market infor- mation). CVC was encouraged at the end of the meeting to explore possibilities to use opportunities offered by digital financial systems.

Meeting with Syngenta Foundation: On August 14, 2015, USAID CVC Project Bamako team met with the Syngenta Foundation’s Regional Rice Program Office, who was in Mali to witness the progress on execution of their "Projet Centre d’Exploitation de Matériels Agricoles (CEMA) of SCOOPS-SOCOUMA Diabaly, in Kouroumari Office du Niger”. Syngenta Foundation team met with CVC to discuss about the possibilities collaboration, especially in the field of business plan development and access to finance for the planned investment in a combined harvester.

SECURITY At the moment of the recent terrorist attack in Sévaré, CVC had three teams in the field. In addition, the attacked hotel in Sévaré is directly across the CVC Mopti office. Apart from the CVC office in Mopti the most critical situation was a workshop in Bankass with the participation of an expatriate. Upon receipt of information, CVC coordination in Bamako and Mopti in collaboration with ACDIVOCA headquarters, Malian authorities and staff in the field found solutions to evacuate the expatriate via the road through Burkina Faso and to remove local staff from eventually tar- geted sites. ACDI/VOCA is currently re-evaluating its security plan in collaboration with CVC’s local implementing partners as well as guidance from local authorities and the US government.

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