WACIP West African Cotton Improvement Program
PRESS RELEASE USAID WACIP Holds its Sixth National Advisory Committee Meeting May 3, 2013 – N’Djamena, Chad – The United States government supports the cotton sector in West and Central Africa through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) West African Cotton Improvement Program (USAID WACIP). The program covers Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, commonly known as the C-4 countries, plus Senegal. USAID WACIP, which began in 2006, is implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). The program’s purpose is to reduce poverty and hunger by helping increase cotton farmers’ incomes and increasing the added value of cotton processed by artisans and ginners. One of the ways cotton producers’ incomes can be increased is through the improvement of agricultural productivity. Therefore, the project focuses on the dissemination of good agricultural practices (GAP), integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in the C-4 countries. Through the application of disseminated techniques, producers are able to substantially increase the productivity of cotton and rotational crops (such as maize and cowpeas). To identify priorities, ensure coordination and evaluate progress on vetted work plans, IFDC consults with the National Advisory Committee (NAC) of each C-4 country. IFDC incorporates the NAC guidance into USAID-approved work plans and implements the activities through a combination of direct management (by IFDC staff) and awards to U.S.-based sub-recipients and Africabased sub-grantees. For example, in Chad, for the past five years, USAID WACIP has provided support to the national extension service l’Office National du Développement Rural (ONDR). After strengthening the core training functions of ONDR (2008 and 2009) and core crop monitoring and impact evaluation functions (2009 and 2010), the project funded an initial year of countrywide farmer productivity-focused trainings in 2011. In 2012-2013, USAID WACIP continued to partner with ONDR by further strengthening the extension service’s capacity to develop and apply new pedagogic materials, conduct proper field demonstrations and carry out rigorous monitoring and evaluation of their results. During the 2012-13 crop year, with USAID WACIP’s support, ONDR trained 170 extension agents and 8,326 cotton farmers in GAP, including IPM and the proper handling of pesticides as well as ISFM to increase yields. A total of 493 demonstration plots (in cotton, maize and cowpeas) were also established for training purposes. The environmental monitoring was ensured by an independent consultant hired by the project. The 2013 NAC session will be held on May 3 at Le Meridien Chari Hotel in N’Djamena. Lessons learned from the results of ONDR’s 2012-2013 GAP activities will be discussed. More than 30 participants are expected, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture of Chad.
BP. 11 CMS 82 Ouagadougou 11 – Burkina Faso Tel: +22650 37 45 03/05/08 | fax: +22650 37 49 69 ifdcburkina@ifdc.org | Website www.ifdc.org
IFDC is a public international organization, governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing countries. The nonprofit center is located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA, and has over 800 employees involved in projects that span more than 30 countries in Africa and Eurasia. It is supported by various bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, private foundations and national governments. IFDC focuses on increasing and sustaining food security and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise. For more information on IFDC and USAID WACIP, please visit: www.ifdc.org and www.wacip.org. ### WACIP Contact: M. Prosper GASSINTA Chad Coordinator USAID WACIP pgassinta@ifdc.org Mobile: +235 913 993 15
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