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Mamadou Faye is a smallholder farmer in Pointe-Sarène, about 100 kilometers south of Dakar, Senegal. Thanks to our PPAAO, Mamadou has switched from growing maize to producing sorghum seed. Despite irregular rainfall, he has been able to obtain drought-resistant sorghum varieties.

Previously, irregular rainfall and poor seed quality had resulted in derisory yields and low incomes. When he signed a contract with the cooperative run by the Réseau des organisations paysannes et pastorales du Sénégal (RESOPP), he received new sorghum varieties developed by PPAAO. These seeds are drought-resistant and have shorter cycles. " The seeds lived up to my expectations," says Mamadou.

"I work in the field for most of the day because growing sorghum is worth it. If I had more land, I would have increased this crop," explains Mr. Faye.

Under the terms of the seed production contract, Mamadou is obliged to sell the sorghum seed back to the cooperative at 300 CFA per kilogram, a higher price than the market price (150 FCFA). According to PPAAO's local agricultural advisor, Diegane Faye, farmers who have used PPAAO certified seed have obtained yields of 1.5 to 2 tonnes per hectare, compared with 0.5 tonnes per hectare for local non-certified varieties. For a region that receives half the normal amount of rainfall, experts say these yields are remarkable.

With agriculture becoming an uncertain business sector in Senegal and many other sub-Saharan African countries, there is an urgent need to protect farmers from the ever-increasing risks associated with climate variability, pests, disease, drought and flooding.

Under these conditions, the WAPP program, coordinated by CORAF, is developing and implementing climate-smart agriculture to support agricultural growth and, in turn, lay the foundations for poverty reduction and economic growth, particularly for agriculture-based countries.

Improved varieties enable high yields, even with rainfall deficits. Between 2011 and 2014, growers increased their productivity by 6%. Improved varieties also help farmers build resilience to climatic shocks and protect them from the negative effects of crop failure.