MIR Plus Newsletter No 6

Economic Community of West African States

MIR PlusNews

West African Economic and Monetary Union

Quarterly Newsletter of MIR Plus, an ECOWAS – UEMOA Project Implemented by IFDC

Inside This Issue MIR Plus and partners present the potential of UDP technology on national and regional TV stations in West Africa

Issue No.6, December 2011

MIR Plus and partners present the potential of UDP technology on national and regional TV stations in West Africa

RESIMAO to launch a new web-based platform featuring data on agro-input prices with MIR Plus support MIR Plus strengthens data collection for the regional MIS with the successful testing of a mobile phone application MIR Plus and partners alleviate the labor intensity of UDP technology with the development of a local prototype of the USG hand applicator ORTM, Mali, August 2011

MIR Plus improves farmers' knowledge of fertilizer products in Burkina Faso and Nigeria MIR Plus organizes demonstrations to promote the use of crop-specific fertilizer in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria MIR Plus continues to link farmers to agrodealers through input fairs in Nigeria

E ditorial

Dear Partners,

After two full y e a r s o f implementation, the MIR Plus project has started the second half of its lifespan. It is time for a midAndré De Jager (PHD) Acting Director, IFDC North and term review to West Africa Division assist the project management and the joint IFDC, ECOWAS and UEMOA leadership in making necessary adjustments to ensure successful achievement of the project outputs, outcomes and impacts. This review is ongoing and will culminate in a discussion of the findings and recommendations during a project

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n an effort to sustain the momentum generated by the impressive results of UDP testing in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and

Senegal (as reported in previous issues and in project “Information Bulletin No. 6”), MIR Plus and the Cont’d on pg 2

advisory committee meeting at the end to reduce risks to both people and the of March 2012. environment; they are being linked to agro-dealers through demonstrations, Without predetermining the findings local agro-input fairs and joint of the review, we can say that while procurement approaches. The project much still remains to be done, the has successfully mobilized regional project has made important strides expertise to test the urea deep toward successfully achieving its placement (UDP) technology in objectives. On the policy front, the irrigated schemes in Burkina Faso, remaining supporting regulations for Mali, Niger and Senegal. The results the regional legal frameworks on seed obtained from the tests show the and pesticide production and trade will promise for the region to achieve rice soon be adopted and the process for self-sufficiency through sustainable fertilizer regulations has started. In production methodologies. addition, baseline data have been collected on the quality of pesticides The excellent support MIR Plus has and fertilizer traded in the region. enjoyed from its partners is more Stakeholders in agro-food value chains critical than ever, as is ECOWAS and have started to benefit from access to UEMOA leadership to ensure that the essential input market information through the establishment of a data momentum generated is sustained and c o l l e c t i o n a n d d i s s e m i n a t i o n pilot achievements are scaled up for infrastructure. Farmers are being the region to fully benefit. I would like taught how to safely handle pesticides Cont’d on pg 2

Marketing Inputs Regionally (MIR)

Editorial Cont. from front pg

to sincerely thank all partners and stakeholders involved in implementing project activities, with special appreciation to the leadership the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions have been providing to the project since its inception in April 2009. As the implementing body of this challenging and exciting project, IFDC is honored and remains dedicated and committed to continue providing its contribution to the development and strengthening of a competitive agro-input market in West Africa MIR Plus and partners present the potential ...

Cont. from pg 1

IFDC/Natural Resource Management Program (IFDC/NRM Program) implemented a media plan to inform stakeholders throughout the region on the potential of this technology. UDP reduces production costs and increases yields, thereby increasing rice production in West Africa. A key element of this plan is a video documentary the project produced entitled “Urea Deep Placement: Hope for Food Self-Sufficiency in West Africa.” During the second half of 2011, the documentary was broadcast on TV stations in UDP pilot countries: once on ORTM in Mali and ORTN in Niger, twice on RTS in Senegal and four times on RTB in Burkina Faso.

The documentary was also aired twice on Africable, a regional network covering more than 23 countries.

RTB, Burkina Faso, September 2011

Furthermore, copies of the documentary were distributed to project partners and key stakeholders to further showcase the successful results achieved with UDP application.

The documentary, which has been viewed during several stakeholder

workshops, is also posted on the IFDC website for the general public (www.ifdc.org/Media_Info/Video_Ga llery).

“Partners (FUCOPRI, rice cooperatives, etc.) watched the documentary on TV and many of them called me. Some even visited my office to congratulate and encourage us.

Thanks to this broadcast, some private sector partners are willing to join this UDP initiative. This documentary should be aired several times because it had a real impact on people."

Feedback from stakeholders and partners after the documentary was broadcast has exceeded the project's expectations: a) Mr. Amadou Attikou, Director of Value Chains for the Ministry of Agriculture of Niger, reported positive c) From Senegal, Dr. Mamadou reactions from stakeholders in his Ndiaye, a researcher at the Senegal country: Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA) in Saint-Louis stated: "I appreciate this great communication achievement in the dissemination of UDP technology in West Africa. The potential impact of this technology is undeniable."

ORTM, Mali, August 2011

“...Frankly speaking, rice producers are really proud of this communication tool. We received calls from everywhere either appreciating the quality of the film or asking for copies of the documentary. At my level, I received over 35 calls from various TV viewers as well as direct contacts or visits to my office for more explanation on the technology. All the producers we work with in Karma, Koutoukalé and Dawibéri are proud to see their work valued on TV. They never dreamed of having their field findings shown on television. Now that things have become so serious, we promise to be more involved. Please, people are asking for more TV programs on the technology. Thank you for this great initiative. Moreover, I wish for 2012 to be a year of greater extension of the UDP technology. We need more sites, more rice producers adopting the technologies and more tests of the technology on other crops such as onions and peppers. This is currently the major request we have from farmers here in Niger to IFDC and ECOWAS.”

d) From Burkina Faso, Mr. Nouhoun Konaté, a rice producer from the Kou Valley in Bama, praised the project: “This technology is highly welcome because of the associated advantages.

Before, we were using four bags of urea per hectare; now with urea deep placement technology, we use only two bags per hectare. Besides, there are no weeding issues and it significantly reduces labor time for that task.”

Africable, Mali, July 2011

There is no doubt that broadcasting this documentary has increased interest in UDP technology in the region. The challenge for ECOWAS and UEMOA is to scale up the project intervention so that the region can realize its potential in rice production and reduce the strain of burdensome rice and urea import bills on national governments. This sensitization effort will be sustained by MIR Plus at national levels with targeted b) Another reaction from Niger came from Mr. Ali Mossi, Director of Centre interventions among key decision de Prestations de Services in Niamey: makers 2

RESIMAO to launch a new web-based platform featuring data on agro-input prices with MIR Plus support

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aving adopted the platform of the West-African Market Information Network (RESIMAO) as the source of price data for its integrated Agricultural Information System (AGRIS), the ECOWAS Commission has committed to working with RESIMAO to update the website (www.resimao.org) and support its functioning. The platform

needed improvement in order to handle data on agro-inputs as well as acquire new features. To this end, MIR Plus has been providing technical and financial support to RESIMAO on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission.

Several technical meetings were conducted in 2011; the latest meeting was held in November in Cotonou,

Benin, with experts from ECOWAS, RESIMAO and MIR Plus as well as a team of web-based application developers (EASYDUZIT). The threeday meeting enabled participants from the nine RESIMAO countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, C么te d'Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Niger, Mali, Senegal, Togo and Nigeria) to assess progress made in the website's development.

Participants appreciated the progress made to date and the improvements over the previous website. In addition to providing users with easier access to data, the new platform will enable users to carry out their own basic analyses and produce their own graphs.

It will also offer the possibility for registered users to receive prices on their mobile phones. Finally, the platform will be used to disseminate quarterly newsletters on agro-input prices and any other information relating to RESIMAO or its member states. The new platform (www.resimao.net) will be officially launched during the first semester of 2012

Partial View of the new RESIMAO platform draft home page

MIR Plus strengthens data collection for the regional MIS with the successful testing of a mobile phone application

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orking with RESIMAO members and agro-dealer associations, MIR Plus has established a network of agro-input price data collection points in nine of the 15 ECOWAS member countries.

The plan is to support the expansion of the network in the remaining member states. Currently, data are collected and transmitted to central processing

points at the national and regional levels using simple Excel data sheets.

However, this is time-consuming and likely to lead to delays in the dissemination of the data collected.

The issue is compounded by the associated unreliable or lack of Internet connectivity and lack of computer equipment for the enumerators to prepare the Excel files. To address this challenge, MIR Plus initiated the development of an electronic application that can be installed in appropriate (Javaenabled) mobile phones for data collection and dissemination. This application was subsequently tested in Ghana and Nigeria with agro-dealer associations that have been members

Enumerators testing the mobile application in Nigeria

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of the data collection network since 2010.

For this testing, technical staff members of the associations were taught how to collect data from agroinput shops and disseminate the data using mobile phones the project provided. Necessary adjustments identified during the testing have been addressed. Enumerators can now send real-time data easily, at any time and from anywhere since the data are stored on their phones until the network is available. The application was deployed in Ghana in October 2011 and in Nigeria in November 2011 through training of the agro-dealers involved in data collection. In 2012, the project plans to extend and promote the use of this new tool in eight other ECOWAS member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, C么te d'Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo) where data collection through an Excel template is already in place

MIR Plus and partners alleviate the labor intensity of UDP technology with the development of a local prototype of the USG hand applicator

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he testing of UDP technology in irrigated rice schemes in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal has shown great promise for rice production in West Africa. The technology assessment has also shed light on two major constraints to be alleviated: the limited availability of urea supergranules (USG); and the labor-intensive nature of deep-placing USG.

In November 2011, MIR Plus and the IFDC/NRM Program facilitated a regional meeting on “Mechanical E n g i n e e r i n g G ro u p Wo r k f o r Designing a Local Prototype of the Urea Supergranule Hand Applicator� in Niono, Mali. This was a follow-up to a meeting held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in December 2010 with the aim to design and manufacture an improved manual applicator suitable for African field conditions. Seven agricultural mechanization experts from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo attended the Niono meeting, which was held at SOCAFON, a private association of agricultural mechanization technicians. The emphasis was on making the final technical adjustments necessary to get an applicator immediately operational and ready for testing in UDP sites.

Recognizing that the expansion of this technology requires that capacity be developed locally to produce and supply USG to meet the emerging demand from rice producers, MIR Plus and the IFDC/NRM Program jointly adopted a three-pronged approach to address this challenge. The approach consists of a combination of training, equipment provision and support/sensitization efforts to promote private sector involvement in The one-week workshop enabled the the supply of USG and equipment. machinists to deliver a prototype made of iron. In situ and field testing Regarding the labor-intensive nature of generated good results: very low miss the deep placement of USG, support rate (in which the granule does not has been provided to a group of come out of the applicator); no broken agricultural engineers involved in the granules; and no instances of two or demonstration trials to help produce a more granules coming out at the same local prototype of a USG applicator time. The price to produce this and create a private regional prototype is FCFA 49,000 (US $100), association (MATAGRI Conceptors) in but that price should decrease as IFDC order to develop the local capacity to and MIR Plus project partners are sustain the promotion of the exploring ways to make the granule technology. applicator cheaper.

Latest hand USG applicator prototype, Niono

Participants agreed that each machine expert in the group will reproduce the Niono prototype (funded by the project) and test it locally with national technical partners. Then, the project will order a small number of applicators for field testing in UDP sites later in 2012

MIR Plus improves farmers' knowledge of fertilizer products in Burkina Faso and Nigeria

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n its effort to improve farmers' access to quality agro-inputs, MIR Plus has organized various activities, including training farmers to improve their knowledge and use of fertilizer products. The objective is to ensure that targeted farmers are better able to choose and apply the correct fertilizers, and therefore improve their crop productivity, and ultimately increase their overall level of fertilizer use.

In Burkina Faso, MIR Plus Cont’d on pg 5

Partial View of farmers trained in Burkina Faso

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MIR Plus improves farmers' knowledge of ...

Cont. from pg 4

collaborated with the Regional Cotton Producers Association of the Eastern Region (URPCE) and the apex farmer organization, FEPAB, to train 118 'master' trainers (from four provinces – Gourma, Koulpelogo, Kompienga and Tapoa) and 38 advisors. In Nigeria, the project partnered with other IFDC projects (NADS and AAA-Bridge) to train 175 producer association leaders and agro-dealers in seven states (FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Oyo and Taraba) from May to August 2011.

These interactive training sessions involved the use of pictorial-based flip charts developed by the project. In each of the trainings, a total of 17 topics were covered. Participants gained knowledge on the role of the primary nutrients (nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P] and potassium [K]) and on the importance of plant roots, water and improved seeds in crop fertilization. They were also educated

in the signs of plant nutrient deficiency, fertilizer storage and transport and the existing relationships between fertilizers, water, plant roots and manure.

Partial View of a training session in Nigeria

At the end of the training, each participant was empowered to further train at least 100 members of his/her producer organization. The training reached a total of 15,627 farmers (10,937 men and 4,690 women) in Nigeria and 5,099 farmers (4,919 men

and 180 women) in Burkina Faso. The project provided training materials to each of the trainees, allowing him/her to replicate training efforts. In addition, a summary of the flip chart was translated into Hausa and reproduced in bulk in Nigeria. Some of the trainees were each given 30 copies of the summarized materials for continuous training of other farmers in their community. Similar trainings are planned in Ghana in early 2012.

Many trainees confirmed that they learned a great deal of valuable information during the training. Some noted that this was the first time they were taught that good seeds are needed to get the best results from fertilizer application; others were surprised to learn that fertilizers lose potency when exposed to air for a long period of time.

Trainees expressed concerns, however, about buying large quantities of fertilizer with their limited purchasing power; they were encouraged to buy in groups to overcome this limitation

MIR Plus organizes demonstrations to promote the use of crop-specific fertilizer in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria

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uite often in West Africa, smallholder farmers apply the wrong type of fertilizer on food crops. Particularly in cotton-producing countries, where the system facilitates access to fertilizer formulas specific for cotton production, many farmers tend to use the same fertilizer product on cereals. As a result, crop responses to fertilizer application have been poor and the soils are often depleted of nutrients. To address this concern, MIR Plus undertook a series of field activities in the second half of 2011 to educate farmers on the use of cropspecific fertilizers in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. These activities are part of the project's efforts to help farmers fertilizer use in their cropping system in order to increase their yields.

farmers were impressed with the increased yield and were looking forward to trying the varieties and fertilizer on their own fields. Most farmers still had limited knowledge of the importance of fertilizers and their proper application. Some apply fertilizer by broadcasting, but the application of recommended doses is

Demo plot on millet, Nigeria

In Nigeria, the project set up 101 demonstration plots to show the yield potential for improved varieties of maize and the appropriate use of fertilizer (NPK 15-15-15) on millet. A total of 125 field days were organized from June to September 2011, bringing together 15,151 farmers (11,263 men and 3,888 women). Participating

not always respected. Farmers were taught the right quantity, time and method of application for improved yields. They observed that millet yields from plots properly fertilized were significantly higher (an average 58 percent increase) than those obtained in the control plots (traditional farmers' practice).

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In Burkina Faso, the project set up 93 demonstration plots in 17 provinces.

This was done in collaboration with the apex farmers' organizations (FEPAB) and URPCE as well as with technicians and agents from the Ministry of Agriculture. These demonstrations showcased the effect on yields of using improved seed varieties and cropspecific fertilizer products (NPK 2310-05 + 3S + 2MgO + 0.3Zn) in maize production. These demonstrations were compared with the NPK (14-2314 + 6S) commonly used for cotton production and incorrectly applied on maize. Farmers were also informed about the importance of using crop protection products in cowpea production. Field demonstrations enabled farmers to compare the results of the two types of fertilizers. They recognized that the new NPK (23-1005 + 3S + 2MgO + 0.3Zn) produces a higher yield than the cotton NPK (1423-14 + 6S). A total of 3,050 farmers attended the field days (2,287 men and 763 women).

In Ghana, the project set up 64 fertilizer and maize demonstration plots in five Cont’d on pg 6

MIR PlusNews

Issue No.6, December 2011

MIR Plus organizes demonstrations to ...

Cont. from pg 5

regions (Ahafo, Ashanti, Brong, Eastern, Greater Accra and Volta) and organized 154 field days. A total of 6,312 farmers (3,856 men and 2,486 women) and 17 agro-dealers attended the field days. Participants were introduced to improved varieties of maize and a maize-specific fertilizer NPK (23-10-05 + 3S + 2MgO + 0.3Zn).

Based on the fertilizer demonstrations, using their usual fertilizer rate (375 kilograms per hectare [kg/ha]), plant population (41,666 plants/ha) and the same variety (Obaatanpa), farmers recorded an average yield increase of 24 percent with the maize-specific fertilizer compared with the standard

Demo plot on maize, Ghana

NPK (15:15:15) they normally apply.

One set of maize variety demonstrations was carried out under farmers' traditional practice (NPK 15:15:15 at 375 kg/ha and a plant population of 41,666 plants/ha); the improved varieties (Akposoi, Mamaba and Obaatanpa) increased yields by 3

percent, 25 percent and 37 percent, respectively, compared with the local varieties. A second set of demonstrations was carried out under improved practices (NPK 15:15:15 at 625 kg/ha and a plant population of 57,143 plants/ha), and the improved varieties (Obaatanpa, P2948W, 30Y87 and PAN 53) surpassed the local varieties by 19 percent, 12 percent, 73 percent and 41 percent, respectively.

Farmers were very happy with the results obtained. In addition, most farmers observed that using improved seeds generates a better yield than using seeds sorted from their previous harvest, especially when they apply the correct fertilizers in the correct amounts

MIR Plus continues to link farmers to agro-dealers through input fairs in Nigeria

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uring the second half of 2011, MIR Plus organized 23 agroinput fairs in FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Oyo states in Nigeria. These fairs were organized in partnership with the North Central Agro-Input Dealers' Association (NOCAIDA), Northwest Agro-Input Dealers' Association (NOWAIDA), West Agro-Input Dealers' Association (WAIDA) and the Green Sahel Agricultural and Rural Development Initiative. They provided a platform for 3,729 farmers (3,166 men and 563 women) to link with 92 agro-dealers and 44 input companies to access a wide range of agro-inputs at competitive prices. Each fair was held during market days in villages close to targeted producer organizations, thus facilitating their participation.

Input manufacturers, suppliers and agro-dealers were invited to display their products at the fairs through the relevant agro-input dealer associations in partnership with the IFDC Nigeria Agro-Dealer Support (NADS) project (i.e., NEAIDA, NOCAIDA, NOWAIDA and WAIDA) and other partners. Local government authorities were invited to visit the fair to witness farmers linking to input markets

firsthand. A public address system was used to encourage farmers to visit the booths and to conduct interviews with those who had visited the stands. This also allowed the project to broadcast educational information on the importance of buying seeds (instead of using saved seeds) and issues surrounding the safe use and handling of pesticides and fertilizer products.

fertilizer and 4 percent for pesticides.

Mr. Ibrahim Iro, a farmer from Gamadan, stated that he bought maize seeds during a previous fair at the same venue in April 2010. Iro said that he and his neighboring farmers in his village had never seen such a highyielding maize variety. He reluctantly adopted the high-density planting system the seed company recommended and, to his surprise, all the plants produced healthy ears. The entire village was overwhelmed and many came to buy more of this same variety during the fair in August. The villagers have since arranged with the seed company to purchase the seeds in bulk

E D I TO R I A L T E A M Partial view of input fair, Nigeria

Georges Dimithè Project Leader

Through these fairs, linkages were created between farmers, agro-dealers and input companies for subsequent business deals. Farmers benefited from the enlightening presentations by input companies and accessed quality agroinputs at prices significantly lower than the prevailing market price: 10 percent for seed, 12 percent for

Francis DabirĂŠ

Communication Specialist

Michelle Locoh

Communication Specialist

Feedback Please send your letters, opinions and comments to the Project Leader at gdimithe@ifdc.org

P R O J E C T C O N T A C T S ECOWAS COMMISSION Rui Silva Email: silva_rui@yahoo.com Tel: +234 - 80 73 81 4446

IFDC NIGERIA: Georges Dimithe Email: gdimithe@ifdc.org Tel: +234 - 70 38 974713

IFDC BURKINA: Bocar Diagana Email: bdiagana@ifdc.org Tel: +226 50 37 450305

IFDC GHANA:

UEMOA COMMISSION

Malick Lompo

Ayassor Tchambakou

Email: mlompo@ifdc.org

Email: tchambakou.ayassor@uemoa.int

Tel: +233 - 54 5224905

Tel: +226 - 50 32 88 59