Support for the structuring of agricultural groups in Upper Guinea Guinée

Context of the service

At the end of the 50s, Guinea gradually cut itself off from the outside world. In this context, the business environment was very poor, agricultural research had almost collapsed, as had rural infrastructure, agricultural extension services and rural banking services. For all these reasons, Guinea was far from food self-sufficient, including on strategic crops such as rice, and farmers' incomes were very low.
Therefore, in the 80s, donors supported strategic sectors such as coffee in Guinea Forestière, cotton in Upper Guinea, potato and onion in Middle Guinea, etc. But, after more than 10 years of support, they realized that Professional Agricultural Organizations (OPAs) were at the service of these large-scale integrated projects, rather than the other way around... In the 90s, priority was therefore given to direct support to takeovers with the aim of strengthening their capacities and helping them achieve their own objectives. This became urgent, since the majority of Guineans were dependent on agriculture and economic conditions were very poor. In 2005, the International Crisis Group represented Guinea as "having the macroeconomic indicators of a country at war, without being at war".
The Takeover Promotion Project (PROMOPA) was set up in this difficult context in the mid-2000s. It supported four OPA Support Centres (CAOPA) located in the four regions of Guinea (Maritime Guinea, Middle Guinea, Upper Guinea and Forest Guinea) and placed under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Project Manager was based in Conakry and worked with the Ministry's central services. Four technical assistants were each based in a region, including one in Kankan in the savannah zone of Upper Guinea, with the aim of supporting more than 15,000 producers organized in takeover bids.

Services provided

As a French official placed at the disposal of the Guinean Ministry of Agriculture, the Technical Assistant (TA) has been fully integrated into the regional services of this Ministry in Kankan. He was to advise the Regional Director on all matters related to agriculture, forestry, livestock, fisheries, water resources, land, micro-credit, etc. To carry out its work, the TA had to directly manage €0.6 million of the €2.1 million of the PROMOPA budget. Specifically, he coordinated CAOPA's activities and managed on a daily basis a team of 15 field agents whose role is to strengthen the capacities of grassroots takeovers, their Unions and their Federations: support for the collective purchase of improved seeds, fertilizers, tools and production or processing equipment, group marketing, Strengthening of technical and management capacities, negotiation capacities of takeover bids with retailers/wholesalers, banks, local administrations, etc.
The sectors supported were diversified, from cash crops (cotton, cashew nuts, mango, shea nuts) to food crops (rice, maize, yam, sesame, off-season market gardening) through livestock sectors (poultry farming, dairy farming, small ruminant breeding). At the end of the two-year shift, performance in terms of production and marketing was increased in each sector, as well as farmers' incomes. The OPAs have created specialized federations (mango and cashew nuts, yams, rice, etc.) and have affiliated themselves to the National Confederation of Takeover Bids of Guinea (CNOP-G).

Summary of the service

Advising the Regional Director of Agriculture, Livestock, Environment and Water and Forestry on issues related to agriculture, forestry, land, micro-credit, etc. Coordination of the activities of the Support Centre for Professional Agricultural Organizations (CAOPA) of Upper Guinea. Micro- (at the village level), meso- (at the regional level) and macro-economic (at the national and international) analysis of agricultural sectors and implementation of a regional development plan to strengthen the food security of the region and increase farmers' incomes and resources. Support for cash crops (cotton, cashew nuts, mango, shea nuts), food crops (rice, maize, yam, sesame, off-season market gardening) and livestock (poultry farming, dairy farming, small ruminant farming).