MONTHLY REPORT – AUGUST 2017 FEED THE FUTURE MALI CEREAL VALUE CHAIN PROJECT CONTRACT NUMBER AID-688-C-13-00002 COR USAID: AMADOU DIANE CHIEF OF PARTY: RICHARD COOK 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. ii CONTENTS IR1: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN IRRIGATED AND DRYLAND SYSTEMS improved ................................. 6 Production and productivity of rice and millet value chains .....................................................................................6 Mopti PO input supply .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Producer training on new technologies and good production practices by agricultural technical services in the Mopti rice and millet zone ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Monitoring the 2017/2018 agricultural season .............................................................................................................. 6 Training on the use of the animal traction leveling bar .................................................................................................. 7 CAT member training on technologies and good agricultural practices using training posters ..................................... 7 Distribution of fertilizer for demonstration plots ........................................................................................................... 7 Producer training in improved technologies and good agricultural practices in the Alatona area ................................ 7 Monitoring progress of the agricultural season in the Alatona area .............................................................................. 8 Training workshops for the mobilization of irrigation system maintenance funds for 23 dam sites ............................. 8 Production and productivity of millet/sorghum value chains ...................................................................................8 Training in the establishment and management of demonstration plots and in the use of millet production training posters............................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Training in new technologies and good agricultural practices by using millet, sorghum training posters .................... 8 Distribution of fertilizer for millet and sorghum demonstration plots ........................................................................... 8 Producer training on the installation and management of millet and sorghum demonstration plots .......................... 9 Production and Waste management .......................................................................................................................9 Training of trainers on cleaner production and waste management practices.............................................................. 9 IR2: MARKETS AND TRADE EXPANDED ......................................................................................................... 9 Training of processing units and traders in marketing and business management ....................................................9 Training of parboiled rice traders and cooperatives in the parboiled rice specifications for the Guinean markets of Conakry and Kankan ...............................................................................................................................................9 Training in formal commercial contracting and management of market information .............................................. 10 Monitoring the execution of delivery contracts of parboiled rice for the Guinean market ...................................... 10 Situation of the 2017-2018 agricultural season regarding credit mobilization ......................................................... 10 Situation of outstanding credit for the 2016 - 2017 agricultural season: ................................................................. 10 IR3. RESILIENCE OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS INCREASED ....................................... 11 Training of trainers on climate change adaptation strategies ................................................................................. 11 Training of producers on nutrition based on millet/cowpea and moringa from July 15th to 16th .............................. 11 Training in improved cowpea/millet and moringa processing techniques............................................................... 11 Mobilization of S4C (Saving for Change) funds for financing agricultural activities .................................................. 12 IR4. LOCAL CAPACITIES AND SYSTEMS STRENGTHENED .............................................................................. 12 Training of agricultural schools in basic concepts of value chains and in SMFM techniques..................................... 12 MONITORING & EVALUATION.................................................................................................................... 12 GENDER ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Exchange field visit of Mopti women rice parboilers to Dioro (Ségou) .................................................................... 13 Involvement of women in the implementation of CVC activities ............................................................................ 13 Meeting with mentors on July 24th....................................................................................................................... 13 iii Environment.............................................................................................................................................. 14 Training of DRA and CMDT agents on the EMMP, PERSUAP, and erosion control techniques .................................. 14 COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION ..................................................................................................... 14 Joint monitoring mission of the 2017/2018 agricultural campaign ......................................................................... 14 Participation in the opening ceremony of the advocacy office of the Mali Justice Project ....................................... 14 COMMUNICATION ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Workshop to finalize the concept of job promotion for young people in rural areas ............................................... 14 The meeting of communication champions ........................................................................................................... 14 iv ACRONYM LIST AECOM AECOM Technology Corporation AVRDC World Vegetable Center BDS/Sikasso Business Development Service/Sikasso BOA Bank of Africa CAT Community Agri-business Team COFERSA Convergence des Femmes pour la Sécurité Alimentaire CPC Coopératives de Producteurs de Coton CRS Catholic Relief Service CVECA/ON Caisses Villagéoises d’Epargnes et de Crédit Agricoles/Office du Niger CVC Projet Chaîne de Valeurs Céréales DIGNAFRIC Digne Afrique NGO DRA Direction Régional de l’Agriculture DRS-CES Direction Régionale Service social et économique FASCO Foire Agricole et Commerciale d Sikasso FFSWE Finance for Food Security and Women Entrepreneurs FtF Feed the Future GAP Good Agricultural Practices IFDC International Fertilizer Development Center L4G Livestock for Growth MCCAA Mali Climate Change Adaptation Activity M4 PO’s Self-diagnosis tool (Sell more for more) ME Monitoring and Evaluation ORM Office Riz de Mopti OHADA Organisation pour l’Harmonisation En Afrique du Droit des Affaires P4P Projet Achat pour le progrès PFP Program for Professional Training PO Producer Organization SAFER Salon de la Femme Rurale SRI Système de Riziculture Intensif VIP Village Irrigated Perimeter WFP World Food Program v Yorosso, Alatona, Mopti, Koro, and Bankass production areas. The objective was to assess the progress of crop establishment for the agricultural season. The CVC team held discussions with 87 producers including 19 women. The major findings were: (i) more millet demonstration plots were established than planned, (ii) transplanting/sowing rice seed continued in VIPs and in lowland rice systems due to high rainfall and rising water levels, and (iii) more than a dozen technologies and good agricultural practices(GAP) were being applied: seeds (improved varieties and hybrids), Ecofert organic Fertilizer, herbicides, PNT (Natural Phosphates of Tilemsi), agricultural lime, online sowing (with the seed drill, with rope, with the micro-dose seeder), SRI, NPK Chemical Fertilizer, mil/sorghum-Cowpea Association, (iv) effective collaboration between FtF/CVC and EUCORD (European Cooperative for Rural Development) regarding the establishment of demonstration plots, (v) the significant contribution of improved seeds by the agricultural services through the WAAP seed distribution program (Bougouni received 300 kg of sorghum seed (MSC-63-E-Jacumbè variety); the DRA-Mopti provided cowpea seed), (vi) access by some producers in Koutiala to sorghum seed (hybrid variety of Pablo