04ia-3376 - Strengthening Networks of Regional MIS and Traders
The project outline designed by USAID WARP aims to increase regional agricultural trade and food security by improving and linking the existing regional efforts to generate, disseminate, and make commercial use of market information. IFDC produced the project proposal. The project is referred to as MISTOWA (Market Information Systems and Trade Organisations in West Africa). The four major areas on which the project focusses are: Strengthen and link regional MIS so they perform more effectively and are more easily accesible by traders and producers Increase the effectiveness and number of regional trader and producer organisations Address crosscutting issues that can improve trade and welfare Focus on assisting Nigeria to develop MIS and trade associations. Agriterra has been requested to support the programme in the first year (Sept.´04- Sept. ´05) with an amount of US$ 350.000 in the following areas: Interviewing and recruiting the Producer Organisations Advisor (POA) and other key project staff Technical assistance in strengthening and profiling POs, website development and training in current Agriterra countries (Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal) and new ones. contribute to capacity building in lobbying and negotiating sklills for POs at the national level support for organising study tours and trade missions for PO leaders and commodity groups contribution to salary and benefits of POA and tecnhical staff contribution to costs of investment in conventional and modern ICT hardware and software contribution to the costs of PO market information collection and dissemination to their members, support to women farmers and support for PO training and specialized workshops