Quarterly Report: Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali (IICEM)

and its partners ACDI/VOCA, IBEX, and Sheladia Associates, Inc. The project's core mandate is to promote economic growth by increasing efficiency in five value chains: Rice, potatoes, mangoes, shallots, and tomatoes. IICEM's strategic objectives focus on improving efficiency at key stages of the value chain, improving key services such as finance, and other related areas. IICEM's value chain approach starts with analyzing end markets for each target commodity, mapping the value chain from input suppliers through producers, marketers, processors, and retailers, and identifying constraints within the chain to meeting the identified market needs. The workplan lays out the activities IICEM will implement to address these constraints. In the second quarter of year 2, IICEM made significant progress in the five core value chains. In the rice value chain, the team went through the process of final identification of sites for rehabilitation of irrigation works and received the detailed specifications from design firms to enable the team to begin construction in quarter three. They also pushed forward a wide range of tests for new seeds and broad capacity build activities with producer organizations in advance of the coming season. The potato harvest was still ongoing, with initial data indicating excellent progress with much higher than expected gross margins and strong advances on building institutional strength in umbrella organization the Société d'Intérêt Collectif Agricole (SICA). For mango, IICEM focused on disengaging from fresh mangos training 800+ producers and pisteurs in partnership with 3 exporters, and prospecting markets for non-exportable mangos. IICEM also developed the dried mango value chain by identifying buyers and soliciting interest, facilitating organic certification, and other areas. IICEM also facilitated FCFA 100m in financing. In the shallot value chain, IICEM staff achieved a breakthrough this quarter in gaining widespread commitment from value chain actors to undertake critical institutional changes. In the tomato value chain, IICEM extended the host free period (HFP) technique to Selingue, disseminated lessons learned on virus control, monitored the impact of the HFP, and followed up on virus-resistant and tolerant tomato varieties disseminated last quarter. IICEM staff also began reinforcing marketing capacity of Malian government partners Office de Développement Rural de Sélingué (ODRS) and Office du Périmètre Irrigué de Baguinéda (OPIB) and prospecting for export markets for dried tomato. Quarter two also represented the launch for critical cross-cutting activities and new value chains added as part of the Global Food Security Response (GFSR). IICEM staff launched collaboration with the International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL) on millet/sorghum production that will be implemented in quarter three, and began prospecting in Kayes for sites and partners to place a Department of Defense funded warehouse. The project's progress in the second quarter of year 2 demonstrates IICEM's commitment to promoting economic growth and improving food security in Mali. The project's focus on increasing efficiency in the value chains, improving access to finance, and enhancing access to markets and trade will have a positive impact on the lives of Malian farmers and communities.