Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel – Accelerated Growth (REGIS-AG) Quarterly Report (FY16/Q3)

The project is implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) under the USAID Contract No. AID-625-C-14-00001. The quarterly report for FY16/Q3 highlights the progress made during the third quarter of the project. During this quarter, the REGIS-AG team primarily focused on implementing business development activities under Component 4. Teams in Burkina Faso and Niger built the capacity of selected Business Development Services (BDS) providers to develop business plans. These providers can then assist beneficiaries in accessing finance. The project team also organized market linkage workshops to link different actors of the cowpea value chain. Additionally, the team facilitated the participation of stakeholders in national and international fairs. The project achieved several results during this quarter, including training 57 participants, including 11 women, on best cowpea production practices. A livestock feed deal was made between value chain actors, resulting in a profit of approximately 26,503,000 FCFA or $44,393. Collaboration between REGIS-ER and REGIS-AG led to the development of a plan to strengthen the capacity of poultry producer organizations. The project also trained 30 Auxiliary Breeding (AEs) on animal health topics and established a common strategy in animal health with REGIS-ER, Faso Program, and ViM. Furthermore, the project opened 43 literacy centers, serving 1,381 mostly female participants, and trained 50 BDS service providers on business plan development. A study on the laws governing private sector investment in agriculture was completed, and six memorandums were signed with municipal governments on the improved management of livestock markets. Twenty new AEs, including four women, were identified during the reporting period. The project also made progress in strengthening vertical and horizontal value chain linkages and relationships in selected value chains. In Burkina Faso, a team of REGIS-AG staff members conducted a study on the main barriers and obstacles in upgrading producer organizations to GIEs or Cooperatives within each value chain. In Niger, the project focused on developing the skills of 160 peasant organizations in the cowpea value chain to strengthen and transform into Economic Interest Groups (GIE). The project also organized market fairs and meetings to promote relationships among participants, including producers, suppliers, and buyers. In Niger, REGIS-AG facilitated the participation of six cowpea processors at the 23rd annual Artisanal Fair, resulting in the sale of 163,500 CFA or $274 USD worth of cowpea products. The project also conducted feasibility studies on processing, including a study on the processing of cowpea in the campaign against children and newborns malnutrition. In Burkina Faso, training of trainers on best practices of improved cowpea production practices was conducted by INERA, with 57 participants, including 11 women, taking part in the trainings. The training topics included cowpea production practices for export. The project also promoted competitiveness in end markets by training cowpea producers in Niger and Burkina Faso on good production practices for export.