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SAA Mali Office

Sasakawa Africa Association- Mali
Lafiabougou ACI 2000, Rue 431, Porte 61, Près Place CAN et Mairie centrale de la CIV BP E3541 Bamako, Mali
+223-44-90-50-75


Major Target Crops

maize, sorghum, millet, rice, cowpea, groundnut, sesame

History of SG 2000-Mali

In Mali, SAA began implementing the SG2000 program in June 1996. From its inception until 2010, Dr Marcel Galiba served as Country Director. From 2010 – 2016, Dr Abou Berthé was the Country Director. In January 2017, Dr Berthé handed over the country directorship to Dr Sokona Dagnoko.

Just like any other country programs, SG2000 Mali operates in close collaboration with the National Directorate of Agriculture based on the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture.

From 1996 to 2004, the SG2000-Mali Program focused primarily on improving crop productivity and production. Key intervention areas included i) Improvement and Restoration of soil fertility ii) demonstrations of crop intensification technologies through the Production Test Plots (PTP), iii) the development of endogenous savings through the establishment of the Rural Savings and Loan Banks (RSLB) and iv) the development of partnerships with national and international research and private sector. In all cases, SG2000 provided free financing for inputs required for the demonstrations. Each demonstration plot was entrusted to a producer. In a village more than a dozen demonstration plots are installed by different producers. The size of the plot has changed from 5,000 m2 (1996-1998) to 2,500 m2 (1999 -2004), which accounted for the need of the producers. RSLBs represented a guarantee of supply to input producers. The current inputs shop are substitutes for these RSLBs.

The period 2005 to 2008 has seen an increase in farmers’ knowledge in terms of crop production intensification technologies. This resulted in improvement of yield of targeted crops in targeted areas. Thus it become necessary to find ways for farmers to benefit from this yield improvement by linking them to output markets. This was the beginning of the development of the Agricultural Commodities Market for Farmers' Organizations with the participative construction of the Nietak@ne initiative. The Nietak@ne or Development Center is a center for training that is also equipped by SG2000 Mali with storage facilities for grain, drying areas, chicken rearing compound, secretarial and workshop facilities. This approach was simply called 'Model Adoption Plot' and was supported by three regional programs: QPM, NERICA and Post-harvest & Agro processing and covered ten activities including training, seed production, agricultural production, nutrition, post Harvesting and agro-processing, marketing, research & development, partnership, lobbying and communication. The size of the production plot depended on the producer's input capacity. SG2000 was responsible for facilitating the acquisition of inputs, providing technical data sheets, monitoring and evaluating yields, and organizing marketing.

The period 2009 – 2011 coincided with the development of the first strategic plan of SAA (SP 2012 – 2016). Routine activities were also implemented. However the major achievement of this period was the successful organization and implementation of the National Seed Fair by SG2000 and its national partner from the Ministry of Agriculture. This event has now become institutionalized, being implemented each year under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Agriculture. Initially conducted at only one location, the past two editions (2016 & 2017) of the seed fair were conducted in three regions, namely Segou, Sikasso, Mopti.

The period 2012 – 2016 corresponded to the implementation of the first strategic plan 2012-2016. The objectives of SP1 were focused on food security and were aligned with those of the major agriculture development policies, namely the Agriculture Orientation law (LOA) and the Agriculture Development Policy (PDA 2013), with the view of transforming Malian smallholder farmers into prosperous commercial farmers. The implementation approach was value chain-oriented and focused on the Post-Harvest and Trade Centers (PH & TCs). The PH & TCs are in line with the Nietak@ne initiative. SG 2000-Mali worked with farmers to form viable farmer-based organizations to provide a range of services to their members—from input delivery, to postharvest handling and storage, to agro processing, to commercial marketing of agricultural products. The PH & TCs are expected to promote excellence in production, post-harvest and processing, and marketing and employment opportunities at the community level. The strategic plan 2012-2016 was successfully implemented in four (04) administrative regions, 12 districts, 52 communes and 320 villages.

List of Other Donor Funded Projects in Mali
(Excluding Nippon Foundation funded program)

List of Awards & Certificates received in Mali

SAA Publications

E-newsletter
"Walking with the Farmer"

SAA publishes a bimonthly e-newsletter reporting on SAA activities.

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SAA history book
"Walking with the Farmer: The journey of the Sasakawa Africa Assoication since 1986"

This book chronicles the history of SAA from its inception to the present.

Success stories
Voices from the Field Special Edition 2022

This is a special edition of the "Voices from the Field" articles.