IICD supported project: Quality + Fruilema: Information System to Increase Exports of Fruits and Vegetables

Countries: Mali [ML]
Sectors: livelihoods

Summary

Through this project, Fruilema, a Malian fruit and vegetable concern, is seeking to acquire the tools and resources needed to meet the stringent requirements for exporting Malian farm products to international markets. More specifically, the project involves setting up an information and communication system to identify producers, farm plots, and products quantity and quality for purposes of analysis, understanding and decision-making support. This database will be coupled with a website. The available information will be disseminated to various stakeholders such as producers, trackers, collectors, importers.

Update

Updated: 2008-01-28

The project was officially launched in January 2007.

Introduction

Exporters must face many requirements and constraints if they wish to enter the European market: insufficient knowledge about the quantity and quality of farm products, places and periods of production; standard-based requirements (traceability) and commercial requirements (certifications); information on markets and demand from European importers, etc. Fruilema members do not have accurate information on producers, products and production areas; producers have no information on good farming practices.

The project should contribute to poverty reduction, slow the migration of young people in the off-season, disseminate production techniques, build producers' capacity and increase the incomes of both exporters and producers.

Objectives

The overall objective is to acquire tools and resources that will enable Fruilema to satisfy the requirements of EurepGap (a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe).and export Malian farm products to the highly desirable markets of Europe.

Specific objectives:

• To possess reliable data,
• To increase output and productivity,
• To enable packaging centres to operate all year round by having a sufficient variety of products,
• To comply with the requirements of external markets,
• To introduce new farming techniques,
• To reassure consumers through product traceability,
• To create a Mali label in order to gain market share,
• To increase the operational effectiveness and professionalism of Fruilema and its members.

Development Impacts

The target groups are producers, exporters (who are Fruilema members) and fruit and vegetable importers, as well as research partners and the government departments concerned (agriculture, trade).
The impact on development should be mainly economic, obtained through better organisation of production and exports of farm products.

Budget

€133,000 (CFA 74 million).

Project Owner : Economic Interest Group "Fruits et Légumes du Mali" (Fruilema).

Project Contact : IICD