Feed the Future Mali Cereal Value Chain Monthly Report

The project focuses on increasing agricultural productivity in irrigated and dryland systems, expanding markets and trade, increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities and households, and strengthening local capacities and systems. In the millet zone, coaches advised five cooperatives to organize the set-up of a revolving input fund, which was successfully established with individual contributions from members. A total of 175 bags of government-subsidized fertilizer was purchased by the cooperatives, which will be distributed to members for production and payment will be made in kind (millet) at harvest. The project also continues to monitor and analyze investments by CVC partners, with a total amount of investments up to $1,000,000. In addition, the project is implementing a training program for CVC agri-business coaches on dam and water management in Sikasso, which aims to strengthen the capacity of coaches who will train community agribusiness teams (CAT) members on improved water management in the valley bottom lands around a dam. The project has also made progress in identifying vulnerable households in the district of Gongasso and Pimperna (Sikasso Region), with a total of 18 households identified, including one woman in charge of family (FNM). The next step will be to identify their constraints and develop mitigation proposals. Furthermore, the project has received Jatropha cuttings for a one-hectare Jatropha test and demonstration plantation in Tendely, which will be planted in the next few days under the guidance of an ICRAF team. The project's activities have also led to the establishment of a commercial relationship between cooperatives and wholesalers, with cooperatives expressing satisfaction with the opportunities offered by the WFP/P4P markets. The overall report will be presented to WFP and will serve policy decisions for next season. The project's financial intermediaries have also prepared loan applications for 12 cereal traders and agrodealers in Koutiala for a total of $100,000 at 8 different banks and microfinance institutions. The project's monitoring and evaluation activities have also shown positive results, with a total of 13,957 metric tons of manure produced from 552 compost pits, including 266 new pits initiated after training on the composting technique. The fertilized area is 1,548 ha at an average dose of 9 MT/ha, exclusively for millet. The project's agribusiness coaches are continuing to monitor the use of manure in the fields and will report the results in the annual report. The project's geographic focus is on the Sikasso and Mopti regions of Mali, with a specific focus on the millet zone. The project's timeframes are ongoing, with a focus on implementing the project's activities and monitoring and evaluating the results. The project's recommendations include the establishment of a revolving input fund for cooperatives, the training of CVC agri-business coaches on dam and water management, and the identification of vulnerable households and development of mitigation proposals.