Mali cereals value chain mid-term performance evaluation : final report

USAID/Mali's primary focus on cereals and livestock value chains, and on improving the enabling environments in which these value chains operate, has contributed to Feed the Future's goal of sustainably reducing global poverty and hunger. The mid-term performance evaluation of the Cereals Value Chain project took place after three years of field implementation that began on October 17, 2013. The five-year award will end on October 16, 2018. The objective of the evaluation is to show what has been working well and the challenges that lie ahead in the second half of project implementation. The evaluation team's major findings are: (1) sustainable local market linkages and buyer-producer relationships exist; (2) the quality of millet has improved compared to previous years; (3) the locally processed grain products market is saturated and there is a lack of demand for processed products; (4) women processors find national and regional market contacts and knowledge at agricultural fairs and fora; and (5) some producer organizations are defaulting on sales contracts with buyers. (Author abstract, modified)