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Nearly 600,000 farmers are expected to be reached by the Fertilizer and Seed Recommendation Map for West Africa(FeSeRWAM), according to the Deputy Manager of the Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems (EnGRAIS) Project for West Africa.

Dr Sansan Youl spoke on Tuesday March 16 at an online forum organized to validate the FeSeRWAM platform's integrated communication, marketing and dissemination strategy.

FeSeRWAM is a web-based geographic information system platform that captures, stores and visualizes seed and fertilizer recommendation data. This digital tool was developed by CORAF in collaboration with IFDC. The U.S. Agency for International Development in West Africa is funding this initiative through the PAIRED and EnGRAIS programs.

The platform contains recommendations on agricultural inputs, fertilizers, seeds and good farming practices, for different crops in specific agro-ecological zones. More than 250 varieties have been uploaded to the platform for around 25 crops in 14 countries. Data is still being collected for Cape Verde, Gambia and Mauritania. The platform is due to be updated annually.

"FeSeRWAM and the Agricultural Input Packages (AIPs) aim to significantly increase the productivity and livelihoods of farmers in the region," explains Dr Caroline Makamto Sobgui, Senior Scaling Specialist at CORAF.

"We strongly recommend the use of FeSeRWAM and AIPs as they are results of research and technological innovation. They are intended to help farmers better master agricultural challenges such as climate change", added Dr Makamto Sobgui.

The virtual workshop held on March 16, 2021, brought together some 50 participants from the private and public sectors and civil society, and enabled stakeholders to validate FeSeRWAM's integrated communication, marketing and dissemination plan.

The plan focuses on end-users and sustainability. This is why, in the long term, the overriding objective is to ensure that private sector players take ownership of the tool.

Participants in the validation workshop came from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the European Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the West African Fertilizer Association (WAFA), the Alliance for the Seed Industry in West Africa (ASIWA), etc.

Implementation of the plan is scheduled to begin in April 2021. At least 25% of the target audience should be reached by the end of the year.