North and West Africa Division (NWAFD)
The total number of attendees increased by 15 percent from
321,138 in 2013 to 368,272 in 2014 in eight countries. Accounting
for 75 percent of the total training reach, MARKETS II focused
on UDP technology in rice and targeted farmers, agro-dealers,
extension agents and seed producers in Nigeria. The MARKETS II
team transfers technical knowledge to Nigerian smallholder rice
farmers on methods to improve their yields and livelihoods. The
project is achieving this objective through training and capacity
building and establishment and maintenance of technology
transfer centers (TTCs) and demonstration plots.
Training and Workshop Coordination Unit
(TWCU)
During 2014, the TWCU held seven international training sessions
for 315 participants, one of the highest attendance rates in the last
15 years. Locations included Ghana, Mali, Senegal, South Africa,
Tanzania, Thailand and the United States. Participants came
from five continents. Combined, Africa and Asia represented
85 percent of the attendees. International training programs
attracted professionals from both the public and private sectors
along with national and international development agencies,
agricultural research centers and universities. Topics included
fertilizer value chains, agro-input smart subsidy programs,
farm-to-market linka