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Ba Issa Traoré is a market gardener in San, a town some 437 km northwest of Bamako, Mali's capital. In this town, PPAAO has introduced 3 high-yielding, pest-resistant varieties of rainy-season tomato. PPAAO also provided improved cultivation techniques. Combined, these varieties and techniques have enabled farmers to improve their yields as they can now grow, harvest and sell all year round.

Previously, Traoré had been unaware of these improved techniques. Similarly, many farmers near the Ségou region were not familiar with this approach. Traditionally, tomatoes were grown only during the dry season, often in swampy areas. Many experimental plantings during the rainy season resulted in the deterioration of more than three-quarters of the crop, due to the plants' high vulnerability to pest infection. This has often led to tomato shortages in the region.

But since the introduction of three improved varieties initially developed in Burkina Faso, San farmers have seen their fortunes improve.

There is now a continuous and regular supply of high-quality tomatoes to the local and national markets.

"I grow my tomatoes on about 600 m2. After each harvest, I make a profit of 35,000 FCFA (75 USD) or even more. During the production cycle, I can harvest around 10 to 12 times," says Traoré.

With the improved techniques introduced by PPAAO, Traoré and his community are very well prepared to face the lean season, which corresponds to periods when the previous harvest is exhausted while new crops are still growing. "The improved tomato enables me to replenish food reserves such as rice and millet to feed my family during the lean season," said the market gardener.