Sene Kunafoni Bulon - Mali

The Sene Kunafoni Bulon project is a good example of close collaboration between three large farmers' organisations in Sikasso (the Union of Mango producers, the Federation of Potato producers and the Federation of women Mango Transformers) and the regional branch of Mali’s national Institute for Agricultural Research (IER) that focuses on the transformation chain of products like mangos, onions, potatoes, etc. In response to requests made by members of the farmers'organisations, IER looks up information on production and transformation methods and passes it on to them. The project is improving the flow of information to and from IER and between farmers using a combination of the internet, video, local radio and posters.

Many farmers’ organisations in Mali are still at an early stage of institutionalisation and professionalisation. Especially on the level of commercialisation, they lack capacity, information and communication with other actors in the value chains of their products. They also lack information about a wide range of issues such as markets and market prices, how to improve productivity, how to gain access to improved seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and how to obtain credit.  

This is why in 2004 the Sene Kunafoni Bulon project was formulated, with an emphasis on strengthening the information and communication channels between the farmers’ leaders and their constituencies, while at the same time maintaining and further developing the communication channels with external actors in the value chains.

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During its first phase, apart from empowerment, the project helped the three involved farmers' organisations to increase their visibility, to improve productivity and transformation quantity and quality, to identify new markets, and to better negotiate bulk prices for their products.

The fact that the three involved farmers organisations now have an office with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment has hugely contributed to the organizational development and the visibility of these organisations. During 2007, the centre in Sikasso has become a focal point for both individual farmers, organisation members and agricultural extension organisations. In that perspective, the centre has improved the opportunities of the organisations to participate in agricultural fairs, and to develop contacts with potential clients and supporting organisations.

The improved access to market prices has contributed to a more informed position of the mango producers in their negotiations with traders, resulting in a net increase of the kilo price for mangoes of 5 FCFA per kilo in 2007. On a total production of 6500 tonnes in 2007 for URPM, the total extra income has been 32,5 million FCFA (48.500 €). It is to be seen whether the same result can be achieved in 2008, but it is an important indicator of direct empowerment of the producers via access to information.

Via the support of the project, numbers of individual transformers in Sikasso have been able to participate in a small entrepreneur contest, funded by the Assemblee Regionale de Sikasso. Five of them received startup funding of 2,5 million FCFA (3750 €) per person.

The general objective of the project is to improve the information flows to farmers and transformers and to acquire knowledge about the production, conservation and commercialisation of agricultural products.

Specific objectives are:

• To improve the information flows between the head offices of the three farmers’ organisations and their constituents on the one hand, and the head offices and different actors in the value chains on the other
• To improve the commercialisation of the products of the three organisations
• To better adjust agricultural research to local farmers’ and transformers’ concrete needs
• To translate, repackage and channel existing academic information on productivity, conservation, transformation and commercialisation in ways that can be better absorbed and understood by local farmers

At the beginning of 2007 over 60 mango producers from rural villages around Sikasso attended two ICT training sessions. For maximum impact the participants, most of whom were women, were taught in the local language, Bambara. The mango producers learned how to use the computer and the Internet to help them identify new market outlets for their produce and access information on market prices, production methods and best farming practices.

This idea of empowering farmers via and with modern communication tools seems to work. At the level of the direct users it seems clear that the farmers gain self-confidence, are better able to express their information needs and post their demands to the right actors, and are stronger at the negotiation table. Their access to markets and other opportunities (subventions, counselling, research) increases, and their organisational skills improve.

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Farmers at the lower levels – who do not always use internet, computers or other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, may also benefit from information generated and disseminated via these tools (slideshows, videos, mobile phone, radio). There are indications that they are more inclined to accept and trust this information, and to even adopt changes, when it comes from trusted sources such as their Union leaders than when it comes from other sources (agricultural experts, government). However, this is difficult to prove, as other incentives for conduct change (such as subventions, credit and speculation) may play an important role too.

The Sene Kunafoni Bulon project is managed by a committee in which the three farmers’ organisations and the regional branch of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IER) are represented. The offices which the three organisations share and which host the largest part of the computer equipment. Each of the three farmers’ organisations  designated a number of key actors within their respective organisations who were subsequently trained in ICT and used as  intermediaries to liaison with other levels  within the organisation. These are the direct users of the project.