A delegation of producers from Bouaké in Ivory Coast travelled to Burkina Faso to meet other producers supported by Fert. After two days on the road, the Ivorian producers were able to visit a few farms, exchange with the Burkinabe producers and consider collaborations.
At the beginning of March, Fert teams from Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast organized an exchange visit between producers from the two countries. A first experience that revealed to be very interesting. The objective was to enable producers from a market gardeners’ union in Ivory Coast, URMAG, to meet other producers who had acquired experience in the services they wanted to set up. Four producers’ organizations located on the outskirts of Ouagadougou were visited in order to discuss the marketing of vegetable products, agro-ecological practices, water resource management, access to inputs and the training of farmers’ leaders.
These FOs have set up services for their members on these issues, such as a women’s FO in Komsilga, which offers an input access service, or the Komsilga scoop, which has developed an onion storage system that allows for sales at better prices.
Each visit was an opportunity for the Burkinabe and Ivorian producers to share their problems and experiences. These exchanges proved to be fruitful; they will continue and could even lead to collaborations, particularly on marketing aspects.
The meeting also allowed Fert teams from both countries to share their tools and methods for supporting and advising farmers. The Burkinabé teams thus provided the young Fert team in Ivory Coast with their tools for training farmer leaders.
To maintain this promising momentum, a Whatsapp discussion group has been set up. Exchanges can continue until the next meeting, which will take place this time in Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
