Feed the Future Malawi Ag Diversification Activity Y2Q3 Quarterly Report

The Activity seeks to increase the competitiveness of high-value, nutrient-rich value chains through support for agricultural enterprises, and increased access to markets and finance. It also aims to foster inclusive and sustainable growth of Malawi's agricultural sector and improve the nutritional status of women and children under five through a proven nutrition-sensitive approach of layering agriculture and nutrition behavior change interventions in rural communities. Malawi entered the harvest season in Q3, which means the AgDiv team has been busy monitoring the impacts of productivity-enhancing technologies such as inoculant deployed earlier in the year, and promoting post-harvest technologies such as PICS bags that minimize losses. With the next planting season only a few months away, this is also a critical time for planning for the next growing cycle. Under Outcome I, AgDiv reached 792 beneficiaries through trainings on improved storage technologies and reached an estimated 150,000 people with information through radio and print media campaigns. More than 124,000 - 50kg PICS bags and 84,000 - 100kg PICS bags were sold from January – June 2018. AgDiv continued to make progress towards improving the quality of seeds available to farmers and identified a vendor to supply groundnut and soybean seeds for the next growing cycle. MOUs have been signed with Limbe Leaf and Alliance One to distribute these seeds to more than 23,000 farmers. Under Outcome 2, AgDiv is working with partners and the media to plan a launch of a nation-wide bamboo campaign. In the past quarter, AgDiv brought together partners for a full-day meeting to identify beneficiaries for the first wave of bamboo seedlings, and took media on a tour to the seedling nurseries and pilot growing sites to learn about how bamboo will improve resilience of households and communities, ultimately affecting the entire country. Outcome 3 led a number of activities during the quarter, especially focused on building the capacity of farmers in safe food storage practices (including aflatoxin control) and using drip kits for irrigating backyard gardens. Food demonstrations were conducted to increase demand for OFSP. Outcome 3 also conducted a review meeting for SoyCow/soykit recipients to review both progress being made by the entrepreneurs as well as the challenges faced since the SoyCows were installed. With farmers' labor demands high during the harvest season, production of soy milk is still far below full capacity, however all cooperatives are now turning a profit, and individuals are reporting that they have developed reliable markets for the product. The Women's Economic Empowerment Conference hosted by AgDiv in collaboration with UN Women marked a key moment in AgDiv's efforts to link rural women to finance – and ensures that their voices and needs are being heard by financial institutions who are currently developing products intended to serve them. Outcome 4 also wrapped up GALS trainings for Year 2, which aimed to increase the capacity of women to participate in decision-making processes and access financial services. The trainings were attended by over 200 women from various districts in Malawi.