Page 50 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

• Business-to-business linkages between Hub In villages where the rain-fed rice has been implemented
Agrodealers and Yara need to be established in order to for the demos, the farmers were amazed with the results.
engage in the sale of their agricultural inputs especially Most of the farmers were used to growing rice on
the fertilizers (YaraMila Activa and YaraVera Amidas) water lands. The highland variety (FK 45-N) used in the
since these were used during the demonstration field demonstration activities creates an opportunity for rice
activities and showed better production results. farming, especially where farmers do not have access to
wet lands.

Impact Although the demonstrations require considerable
amounts of time and effort, the payback is when farmers
The demonstrations field activities have served as one and Hub Agrodealers are ready to adopt the practices
of the most effective educational tools on farming they have witnessed thereby revolutionizing agriculture
techniques to improve productivity. AFAP, through in the country.
its collaborative efforts with Yara, has been able to
communicate the advantages of fertilizer use and good
agricultural practices for farmers. Having seen the benefits Lessons Learned
of using the fertilizers and the Yara protocol over the To ensure continuity and sustainability in every project,
conventional NPK 14-23-14 and urea, farmers have been learning needs to be as practicable as possible. Using
encouraged to enquire about the prices of these fertilizers demonstration fields was one of the surest ways to
and their availability. They also have shown interest in convince farmers to change their old production
improving their plant spacing.
techniques and technologies and adopt to modern
Furthermore, interest in the purchase of the hybrid ones, including using improved seeds and fertilizers to
varieties since the demonstration farm activities have better their yields. Engaging the Government Agricultural
showcased quality, uniformity, and resistance to disease Services Department was most useful as they were in
and distress. a better position to provide technical support for Hub
Agrodealers and famers under their jurisdiction. They
Here is a practical example shared by one of the beneficiary
Hub Agrodealers: reiterated the need for the department to be invited to
more of such engagements to broaden staff members’
“In the Mouhoun region, millet is one of the major cereals scope of knowledge and build their capacities to improve
cultivated by farmers, however over a few years now its agriculture production. The idea of plant spacing was
production keeps decreasing because of poor yield (300kg/ a new technique to most of the farmers and, when
ha) from the local variety. I had an improved variety (Missari) demonstrated in practice on the field, convinced many
stocked in my shop but nobody asked about it because they farmers that this was a good method to adopt.
were used to the local variety. After planting the improved
variety on the demo plot, most of the farmers were very Though the demonstration activities might be new for the
happy to see how well it had developed and I am certain they Agrodealers, they’ve been shown to offer opportunities
will buy more of the improved millet variety for the upcoming for business growth, since they awaken an increased
cropping season”. demand from farmers for agricultural inputs.

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