The birth of an impatient and optimistic breed of community seed producers in Mali

Jean Goita has come a long way since his days as a grain producer in his hometown of Yorosso. Today he is a respected seed producer covering nine communes of Yorosso district in Sikasso region of Southern Mali. Goita and 10 other members of his district were trained to produce improved seed under the ARDT_SMS project.

“There are many seed growers in the communes of Kiffoso, Karangana, Mahou and Yorosso. They are impatient to be trained,” says Mr M Seydou Dao, President of an innovation platform established in Yorosso district in September 2018 with the support of Mali Agricultural Market Trust (Malimark), a national NGO and local partner in the project. The platform with 100 members is the place where farmers, input suppliers, grain processors, and traders meet to discuss their businesses.