1. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Increasing production and quality of
maize through AgResults Aflasafe
Project
NAFDAC AWARENESS
Debo Akande
On behalf of AgResults Aflasafe Team
Ekiti September 2014

2. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Outline
• Introduction to AgResults Program
• Background to AgResults Aflasafe Project
• Goal, Rationale and Scope
• Strategic Objective
• AgResults Operational Model
• Project Element: Action for Adoption
• Project Expected Results
• Conclusion

3. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Introduction to AgResults Program
AgResults is a new multilateral initiative addressing the need for
increased investment in global food security and agriculture, in
particular from the private sector achieved through Pull Mechanism.
Increase incentives for private sector investment in agriculture.
Incentive after measurable results not before i.e Aflatoxin reduced
maize through smallholder/contracting farmers.
In areas where private sector investment is virtually absent due to
market uncertainties.
Leaving production, marketing and distribution strategies to the
private sector.

4. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Background of AgResults Aflasafe Project
In Nigeria, several crops i.e maize, groundnut has unacceptably high
levels of aflatoxin.
This contamination has harmful health effects for the consumers and
negative economic consequences for the growers.
 Bio control product Aflasafe, which reduces aflatoxin contamination of
maize by 80% to 90% was developed by the International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and other partners in Nigeria.
The AgResults Aflasafe Project is providing incentives to smallholder
farmers for adopting this biological control innovation.
AgResult focus on consumption and production impact of aflatoxin
reduced maize.
 Also creating innovation platform for off-taking of aflatoxin reduced
maize in Nigeria.

5. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
AgResult Aflasafe Project
Goal: goal of the Aflasafe pilot is to demonstrate a pull mechanism model
for significantly reducing aflatoxin contamination.
Rationale: Few maize-producing organizations and farmers in Nigeria are
aware of the aflatoxin problem or unwilling to invest without confidence
that there will be a market for aflatoxin-free crops.
At the same time, regulators are highly constrained in their ability to
enforce limits on aflatoxin contamination.
Approach: through pull mechanism, incentivizes organizations with
contract farming arrangements, to work with smallholder maize farmers to
adopt Aflasafe, while also increasing productivity.

6. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Strategic objectives of the Project
 Development Impacts: Health of the consumers and
economic development of smallholder farmers.
 Build a sustained market: Aflasafe maize as commercial
viable product- with premium payment .
 Lesson learn about pull mechanism: AgResults Aflasafe pilot
project will provide a model for a larger roll-out in Africa.

7. Goal To improve the health and livelihood of smallholder farmers in Nigeria
Long-term
outcome
(5 year)
Increase consumption of quality
maize
Improve smallholder incomes
Medium-term
outcome
(3 year)
Short-term
outcome
(1 year)
Outputs
Activities and
initiatives
Increase availability of quality
maize
Increase smallholder sale of maize
in downstream markets
Increase treatment of crops with
AflasafeTM Increase smallholder maize yields
Administration of the pull mechanism including marketing,
promotion, verification and disbursement of funds
Program
Evaluation of
output
harvested and
collected
Participant
Support to
farmers to
increase
yields
Participant
Distribution of
AflasafeTM to
smallholders
Program
Evaluation of
AflasafeTM
prevalence
AgResults Operational Models

8. General challenges/action for adoption of aflasafe
 Subsistence Farming vrs Agribusiness : Agribusiness
through Implementers. Training and capacity support.
 Limited awareness on aflatoxin issues : Awareness
through NAFDAC/IITA Workshop.
 Limited access to finance and market: Innovation
platform for market /finance, Linkages between
buyers/Implementers, verification of aflatoxin for market
access, Incentive for good perfomance.
 Agricultural practices and management i.e quality and
quantity of inputs use; post harvest mgt etc : Linkage to
right sources of inputs and advisory services.
 Scaling up and sustainability plan: In country multi-
stakeholders partnership (Advisory Council).
www.iita.orgDATEA member of CGIAR consortium

9. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
2013/2014 AgResults Project Outcome Summary
2013/2014
Outcome
Four Implementers worked
with 1,015 farmers. Applied
25 tons of aflasafe on 2,015
hectares of farmland in 3
states in Nigeria. Aggregated
total 2,031 tons of Maize.
Our inovation platform
workshops facilitated market
linkages between several off-
takers and the Implementers. It
also enhanced relationship with
financial industry for input loans
.
In the first year of the project,
aflatoxin result shows an average
reduction at 3.6ppb from 99% of
the samples of maize grain tested.
AgResults Aflasafe implementers have
already sold 1,066 tons of maize at
premium prices ranging from 1.8% to
13.2% compared to prevailing market
price of normal maize grains .

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Project Plan 2014-2017
10 implementers is working with 4000+ farmers in 2014; 24 Implementers will
work with 18000+ maize farmers in year 2015 and 36 Implementers will work with
36,000+ maize farmers in 2016.
Under the project , we expect that 80 tons of aflasafe will be applied to an
average of 8000 hectares of farmland in 2014; 540 tons of aflasafe to an
average of 54000 hectares of farmland in 2015 and 10800 tons of aflasafe to an
average of 108000 hectares of land in 2016.
In 2014, we expect production of 29,000 tons of aflasafe treated maize. 490,000
tons of low-aflatoxin maize can be produced over a 4-year period by nearly 36,000
smallholder farmers and deliver health benefit to 70,000 smallholders family
members not including downstream maize consumers.

11. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Conclusion
Conclusion