Feed the Future Nigeria and Nestlé Maize Quality Improvement Partnership Quarterly Report (April- June 2019)

The project works with multiple stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, input suppliers, grain aggregators, Nestlé, and local governments to improve the quality and quantity of maize and soy in Kaduna State by decreasing levels of aflatoxins, fumonisins, and aluminum. This is being done through a comprehensive mapping exercise that identifies areas of high levels of contaminants followed by training and support at each level of the supply chain to reduce levels of contamination to meet high quality standards set by Nestlé. During the quarter, the activity continued with the training of beneficiaries on various ways of mitigating the targeted contaminants. A total of 8,150 people received training, including 4,024 continuing and 4,126 new beneficiaries. The new participants included 4,042 farmers, 59 farm laborers, 15 non-Nestlé aggregators, and 10 grain merchants. The trainings were mainly on methods of land clearing and land preparation, how to conduct seed germination tests, mitigation of targeted contaminants during pre-planting and planting, and methods of detection and quantification of aflatoxin. A total of 5,449 beneficiaries were visited by Extension Agents (EAs) to ensure that they were following the trainings they received from the activity on land clearing, land preparation, and planting of maize and soybeans. This included 2,004 new beneficiaries and 3,445 continuing beneficiaries. A stakeholders' meeting was held on the 29th of April to update stakeholders on the progress of the activity. Participants included representatives from both the Kaduna State and Kaduna Local Governments, Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency (KADA), community leaders, farmers, grain store owners, and aggregators. The activity also continued with the Hausa sensitization radio program on the dangers of the contaminants on humans. Feedback received from listeners who call the project contact phone line on the program showed that listenership includes people from the neighboring states of Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Niger, and Federal Capital Territory. The airing of this radio program will continue in the next quarter. The activity also continued with dissemination of technical messages on good agricultural practices (GAP) to beneficiaries through WhatsApp and text message. The project continued to increase the number of beneficiaries receiving support. During the quarter, activities were implemented in three zones of Kaduna State (Maigana, Lere, and Samaru). In Maigana zone, project activities were implemented in 63 communities under eight Local Government Areas (LGA). The project also established 48 demonstration plots, with BASF collaborating on 18 of the plots. While BASF is demonstrating the effect of their products Raptor, Odyssey, and Stellar Star on the yield and income of farmers, the activity is demonstrating the effect of good agricultural practices on grain quality, yield, and income. The project has made significant progress in increasing the number of beneficiaries receiving support. The training of beneficiaries on various ways of mitigating the targeted contaminants has been successful, with a total of 8,150 people receiving training. The project has also established a strong partnership with BASF, which has collaborated on 18 demonstration plots. The project's radio program has also been successful, with feedback received from listeners showing that listenership includes people from neighboring states. The project's dissemination of technical messages on good agricultural practices (GAP) to beneficiaries through WhatsApp and text message has also been successful.