NIAMEY — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a new activity aimed at increasing the resilience of agricultural, livestock, and food market systems in Niger.

The five-year USAID Yalwa activity will strengthen the capacities of farmers, producer organizations, agribusinesses and rural households in the Maradi, Tillabéri and Zinder regions of Niger to meet the growing demand for affordable, safe and nutritious food. Yalwa means “fulfillment” or “blossoming” in the Hausa language.

USAID Yalwa supports USAID’s regional Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) project, which works with the Government of Niger to help its citizens permanently escape poverty  and build resilience to natural, economic, and other shocks. USAID supports countries and communities to overcome these multifaceted challenges without compromising future well-being. RISE is an integral part of USAID’s long-term focus on building the resilience of the Sahel’s most vulnerable people. Over the course of five years, the $29 million USAID Yalwa will work to increase sales and incomes of 105,000 farmers and 160 small and medium-sized enterprises by at least $90 million.

USAID Yalwa, which includes a ground-breaking component on food market systems, follows five years of progress generated by the recently completed USAID-funded Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel – Accelerated Growth (REGIS-AG) activity, implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), an international agricultural development organization headquartered in Washington DC. CNFA will also implement USAID Yalwa.

USAID Yalwa will:

• Enhance performance of market systems in the cowpea, small ruminants and poultry value chains by facilitating commercial and financial relationships among stakeholders, and improving the functionality and profitability of livestock markets.
• Increase the use of high-quality inputs and services by strengthening access to inputs and services, improving food production and storage, and promoting technologies that support improved marketing, livestock production and access to climate information.
• Increase local consumption of nutritious, safe and affordable foods by promoting consumer demand for these products and helping market actors to supply them to targeted populations.
• Promote inclusive markets for women and youth by identifying barriers to market access and participation and working with communities to encourage youth and women’s entrepreneurship and leadership. USAID Yalwa will provide grants that prioritize women and youth who wish to invest in new technologies or services. USAID Yalwa will enhance literacy, numeracy and business management skills of women and youth, improving their community stature and economic success. At least 75 percent of participants will be women and 25 percent youth ages 15–29.