USAID Yalwa Activity Quarter 2 FY21 Report

The activity is designed to achieve its goal through mutually reinforcing results areas, including enhanced performance of commodity market systems, increased utilization of quality inputs and services, and increased local consumption of nutritious, safe foods. The USAID Yalwa technical approach is grounded on an innovative market system strengthening approach that is facilitative and focused on sustainability. This approach involves enhancing linkages, building capacity of market actors, and establishing supportive environments that create incentives for more efficient, competitive, and inclusive markets. The activity focuses on building the capacity of Unions to provide services to producer groups, leveraging commercial investments to build long-term linkages between buyers and sellers, and developing the skills of farmers, traders, processors, and other buyers. The activity has a geographic coverage of Niger, with a focus on small ruminants, poultry, cowpea, and local nutritious foods value chains. The USAID Yalwa objective and results areas are designed to strengthen food market systems, sustainably increase household incomes, and improve the nutritional status of women and children in the target regions. The activity is implemented by CNFA, with subawardees including HKI, Karkara, AREN, and IPA. In Quarter 2, Fiscal Year 2021, the activity implemented several key technical deliverables, including the production of remaining key technical deliverables of the refinement period. The activity also implemented other FY21 work plan technical activities, including result 1: enhanced performance of commodity market systems, result 2: increased utilization of quality inputs and services, and result 3: increased local consumption of nutritious, safe foods. The activity collaborated with USAID implementing partners, including HKI, Karkara, and AREN, to implement the results areas. The activity also conducted project management activities, including project staffing, operations, finance, and administration, project reporting and communications, and key problems encountered and/or resolved. The activity achieved several key results in Quarter 2, including a 27% increase in household income among program participants compared to the control group. The activity has a period of performance from March 18, 2020, to March 17, 2025, and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The activity is designed to produce sustainable development outcomes by the synergies of market actors, and to establish local ownership and self-reliance among the target population.