Due to the successes achieved in Phase 1, a new round of funding received from ICCO and EU. FAMAR project phase 2 started in January, 2008 and ends December, 2011. It is a 4-year project.

To achieve the above objective, four key result areas are being targeted:

1. Agricultural production per farmer (productivity) of targeted farmers to increase by 33% through.

Improved farmer skills
Access to Credit and Savings opportunities
Access to fertile land by women

2. Targeted farmers are organized in viable, gender balanced FBO’s at three levels and have thereby secured fair trade for their products.

Development of viable FBO’s at local, district and regional levels

Development of supply chain

3. 10,000 Participating farmers (of which 45% women) to have secured reliable and profitable market access

Support a dependable intermediary
Support the availability of market information

What have we been doing towards meeting our objectives?

With stations

Sensitisation of partner stations, farmer groups and local partners on the project
Evaluation, selection and support of partner stations
Mobilizing of new groups through ACDEP stations
Organisation of agronomic training for partner extension staff
Capacity building of staff to enhance their capacity to implement a market oriented project

With farmers

Development of farmer group training modules
Community-based farmer training in various subject areas
Community sensitization on the need for women to have access to fertile land
Learning visits to other organizations
Community, district and regional meetings
Facilitating linkages to financial institutions
Field monitoring of farmers’ fields
Etc

Research and collaboration

Collaboration with SARI on Sesame trials
Collaboration with MOFA, DOC and other NGOs for synergies

WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED SO FAR?

FBO development

For 2010, the number of farmers and FBOs hooked on the project has increased tremendously as indicated in the figures below:

About 20% of the primary FBOs have registered with Department of Cooperatives (DOC) while some 30% are at various stages of the registration process.

Eleven secondary FBOs have been set up and are functioning effectively at the 11 stations

The tertiary level FBOs have set up in all the three regions with interim executives in place.