International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL CRSP)
Date of this Version
7-22-2008
Document Type
Article
Citation
INTSORMIL Impact (July 22, 2008).
Abstract
The INTSORMIL Production-Marketing Project with support from the USAID Africa’s regional program collaborated with national programs, local NGOs and farmers’ organizations to introduce new technology and marketing strategies for sorghum farmers in Mali, Niger and Senegal. The project involved 300 ha of sorghum and worked with approximately 400 sorghum producers in the three countries. The three component program consisted of (1) a technology component aimed at increasing output through the use of improved technologies (the combination an improved variety, inorganic fertilizers, water harvesting techniques and other agronomic improvements), (2) a marketing component aimed at getting a price premium for grain quality and taking advantage of the price recovery later in the year by not selling at harvest and (3) a capacity building component to develop farmers’ associations into viable marketing organizations (see field day photo).
Farmers in this project made income gains from both yield and price increase. Sorghum yields of 118 project farmers in Gabi, Niger increased 428% (2.14 t/ha) over traditional farmer average yields (0.5 t/ha). Price increases due to the marketing strategy were 56% in Niger, 55% in Senegal and 31% in Mali.