Nepal Agriculture Market Development Program/SAHAJ on Maize Sector

Assignment Name: 

Nepal Agriculture Market Development Program/SAHAJ on Maize Sector

Country: 

Nepal

Location Within Country: 

Dhanusa, Makawanpur, Sunseri, Morang, Sindhuli, Chitwan, Sarlahi, Rautahat,  Nawalparasi, Dang, Salyan, Surkhet, Pyuthane, Argakhanchi, Gulmi, Bankey, Bardiya, Jajarkot, Sindhupalchowk, Dailekh, Rupendehi, Jhapa, Parsa, Bara, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Kapilvastu District.

Professional Staff Provided by Your Consultant/Entity (Profile):

8-Professional Staff 

(Min Raj Bhandari-Project Director, Durga Madi Neupane-Market System Development Specialist, Bikesh Chitrakar- Result Based Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Silu Shakya-Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Prem Raj Bhatta-Market System Development Specialist, Shambhu Shrestha-Finance Officer)

Name of Client:

SWISS-CONTACT

Address:

Kathmandu, Nepal

Number of Staff Months:

144 Months

Duration of Assignment:

Start Date (Month/Year): 

July, 2017

Completion Date 

(Month/Year): November, 2019

Approx. Value of Services Proposal:

National Level: Nrs 42, 273, 300.00 

Name of Associated Consultant, If Any:

Not Applicable

No. of Staff Provided by Associated:

Not Applicable

Value of Services:

NPR 42, 273, 300.00

Source of Financing:

SWISS-CONTACT

Name of Senior Staff and Designation (Project Director/Team Leader/Coordinator etc.) involved and Function Performed: 

Name: Mr. Min Raj Bhandari, Designation: Project Director

Performed Function: Activity and resource planning, Organizing and motivating a project team, Controlling time management, Cost estimating and developing the budget, Ensuring donor, client and beneficiaries’ satisfaction, Analyzing and managing project risk, Monitoring progress, Managing reports and necessary documentation of project.

Narrative Description of the Project: 

The project aimed to develop linkages between a feed manufacturing industry and local maize producers with viable and sustainable business in the hilly and Terai districts. Increase access to high yielding maize seeds to the farmers. Improving smallholder’s access to micro nutrients, soil conditioners, soil testing facility and information on soil health management. Promoting maize cultivation with buyback arrangements and improving commercial market linkage for smallholder maize farmers through poultry /livestock feed mills and local grain aggregators /traders (Public Private Partnership Model).

Description of the Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

• Improve access to better quality registered hybrid seeds to the small holder farmers in order to increase the income source of farmers through higher productivity;
• Improve access to better quality improved variety of Open Pollinated (OP) seeds to the small holder farmers in order to increase the income source of farmers through higher productivity;
• Increase farmers’ access to improved soil for better production of maize/crop through soil testing and complementing use of micronutrients in order to increase the income source of smallholder through higher productivity;
• Promote commercial maize production through establishment of linkage between feed mills /traders and maize producers along with making a buy back arrangement between maize farmers and feed mills/traders; Increasing awareness and access to high yielding registered varieties of maize seeds: pre-sowing meetings, promotional activities, demonstrations etc.;
• Providing technical support to the farmers and set up information booth; Network expansion of dealers/Agrovets, staff to support activities and booklets distribution; 7 high yielding registered maize seeds have been promoted and the promotion and marketing activities such as demonstrations, jeep campaigns, dealers’ meetings and awareness campaigns; 
• 96 pre-sowing meetings have been completed. Total of 2670 farmers were benefited; 126 demonstrations and post-harvest activities have been conducted; Identified seed producer smallholder farmers and potential areas for OP maize seed production in 9 districts Achham, Surkhet, Salyan, Pyuthan, Dang, Dailekh and Kavre;
• Collected seeds and packaged seeds under their label. Total of 76.5 MT of improved OP seeds has been collected from 12 seed producer groups from 5 districts (Dang, Dailekh, Bardiya, Salyan, Kavre); Conducted scoping to identify potential areas and cooperatives for soil testing service and soil conditioner promotion in 50 cooperatives;
• Conducted eight 4 days technician training for the soil technicians of cooperatives; Distributed samples in each cooperative for promoting soil testing services and soil conditioner;
• Expanded sales network of the company in eight districts through mentioned cooperative for marketing soil conditioner and micro-nutrients;
• 4 TOTs have been conducted comprising of 65 lead farmers on maize cultivation. Amongst the 65 demo plots 21 demo plots were showcasing usage of mechanization in maize farming;
• Around 800 farmers have been linked with improved/high yielding maize seeds and have participated in pre-sowing meeting; All the selected lead farmers have been trained as local aggregators to strengthen the maize collection mechanism of concerned company;