Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel – Accelerated Growth (REGIS-AG) Quarterly Report, January – March, 2016

The project is implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) and focuses on five key components: identifying opportunities through value chain and end-market analysis, strengthening vertical and horizontal value chain linkages and relationships, improving access to finance, innovation, and private sector investment, and enhancing the enabling environment for local and regional private sector investment. During the reporting period of Quarter 2, FY2016, REGIS-AG experienced a change in leadership with the departure of Chief of Party Paul DeLucco and the arrival of interim Chief of Party Georges Dimithe. Under his leadership, REGIS-AG activities proceeded according to the FY16 Work Plan with encouraging results and greater staff cohesion. REGIS-AG accomplished several highlights this quarter, including capacity building of cowpea processors, training of trainers on improved cowpea storage, and the launch of various assessments, such as the study on the constraints for transforming producer groups into GIEs and the study on the profitability of warrantage. The project also made significant progress in staffing, with the approval and mobilization of several key personnel, including Shola Ajibola, Niamey-based Finance and Operations Director/DCOP, and Haboubacar Issaka Sabo, Niger-based Financial Services Specialist. In Component 1, REGIS-AG identified a short-term consultant to provide support to revise the Value Chain studies and End Market Analyses. These revised reports were submitted on February 8, 2016, for USAID review, and comments were received back on March 18th. CNFA is again working with the short-term consultant to revise the reports, which will be resubmitted in Quarter 3. In Component 2, REGIS-AG made significant progress in Burkina Faso, including the completion of the identification of needs and obstacles for economic interest groups and the development of a draft report detailing the results of the assessment. In Niger, an action plan has been developed for the analysis of commercial viability of GIEs, which will take place in April and May. REGIS-AG also made progress in Component 3, including the development of a plan to strengthen the capacity of the union of Pissila with a focus on commercialization and development of trade relations. Initial meetings were held with the decentralized technical services unit in charge of Agriculture in Manni and the departmental union for Seytenga County to promote the functionality of the marketing platform. In Component 4, REGIS-AG met with Purdue University's "Food Processing Business Incubation" to conduct feasibility studies on processing in Niger. The project also made progress in Component 5, including the identification of 49 BDS providers and the development of capacity building plans. Overall, REGIS-AG made significant progress in Quarter 2, FY2016, and is on track to achieve its objectives and contribute to the resilience and economic growth of the Sahel region.