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Input Trade Fairs, first agricultural season 2006-7, Mozambique and Swaziland

One of FAO's main priorities is food security and nutrition at all levels through support to vulnerable people to help them achieve a sustainable social and economic life. In this sense Input Trade Fairs (ITFs) are geared to improve agricultural production for the vulnerable farmers through making available and accessible suitable agricultural inputs and technologies.

Through the 2006-7 first agricultural season ITFs, FAO Mozambique in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture will support 41,000 vulnerable households in the 10 Provinces of the country. A total of 45 ITFs will be supported where 30,000 households will be supported with funds from the European Union (EU) and 11,000 with funds from the Belgian Government. FAO Swaziland will hold a total of 15 ITFs supporting 15,000 beneficiaries with funding from the Netherlands Government.

The ITFs will not only create markets making available and accessible agricultural inputs to vulnerable farmers in remote areas but will be a medium to sensitise farmers on diverse agricultural inputs and/or technologies such as post-harvest conservation. The events inject money into local economies including promotion of local seed producers and entrepreneurs. The gatherings are also used as panels to disseminate HIV/AIDS awareness on ways of prevention, social acceptance of the infected including health and nutritional issues.

In the bid to improve on the measurement of impact of ITFs interventions on beneficiaries a new Input Trade Fair Monitoring and Evaluation tool-kit will be pilot tested in Swaziland and Mozambique . Tete, Manica and Gaza Provinces representing 35% of the total beneficiaries in Mozambique will be the sample for implementation of the tool-kits and will involve collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Even though customary data collection instruments will be used during this pilot phase it is envisaged to introduce digital pen data collection in future to facilitate the M&E activities given positive achievements in the use of the technology in other activities as examplified in Transboundary Animal Disease M&E activities in Malawi.

For further information contact:

Mr. Tatenda Mutenga
National Information and Monitoring Evaluation Officer, FAO