FEED THE FUTURE

The Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) Activity

The Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) Activity utilizes a facilitative approach to market development by partnering with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and key market actors within the aquaculture, cowpea, maize, rice, and soybean value chains to pilot proven technologies, scale up successful ones, and promote the adoption of improved production practices. It also aims to improve service delivery that will rapidly, effectively, and sustainably provide access to agro-inputs and disseminate extension messaging to at least two million smallholder farmers in Benue, CrossRiver, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.

In the Niger Delta, USAID and PIND are jointly funding the AEAS project for five years (May 25, 2020-May 24, 2025) and focusing on interventions in maize, rice, and aquaculture, specifically in Delta and Cross River States. The project aims to provide access to agro-inputs and disseminate extension messaging to at least two million smallholder farmers in seven states. The Extension Activity works with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to identify opportunities and constraints to improve efficiency and increase return on investment for farmers.

Between April and June 2022, the Extension Activity promoted nine most impactful practices (MIPs) in Cross River and Delta States, including improved seeds, optimum herbicide utilization for weed management, and optimum fertilizer use. 70 MSMEs commercialized the MIPs this quarter, and the Extension Activity provided technical assistance to improve their viability for credit, leading to $104,909 (₦43.54 million) in cash credit disbursed to 64 beneficiaries. The Extension Activity also began a radio awareness campaign program to promote the adoption of seed-related MIPs, in collaboration with four MSMEs in Cross River state seeking to pool resources for a joint radio campaign.

Between July and September 2022, the Extension Activity continued to work with partner MSMEs to commercialize 33 MIPs identified and validated across the five target value chains it is intervening in. It also focused on providing technical assistance to MSME cohorts to improve their viability for credit, leading to a credit financing pipeline of $850,093 (₦352.79 million) being facilitated for 316 beneficiaries. The Extension Activity continued to collaborate with the Cross River State Agricultural Development Program (CRADP) to develop and disseminate extension videos demonstrating the value and practice of MIPs, and partner MSMEs invested $58,702 (₦24.36 million) to address the issue of availability of products and services to smallholder farmers, leading to the creation of 53 additional jobs.