In the Timbuktu region wheat is cultivated on small family farms. This region has a potential for floodplain cultivation, dry cultivation and irrigated cultivation. But it is confronted with the weaknesses of certain traditional production techniques: No mechanisation, traditional design of irrigation, poor maintenance of pumps…

In combination with the use of low-yield seed varieties, this leads to a yield that does not exceed 3 tons per hectare (in Europe, production can reach 10 tons/ha). Consequently, production stalls at about 13,000 tons/year, whereas actual consumption of wheat by the whole of the population of Mali is estimated at more than 120,000 tons/year.

Not just a production issue

Besides its extensive subsistence farming, Timbuktu is known to be particularly isolated. So, due to high transportation costs (and the competition of imported flour) wheat prices that farmers obtain are low. As producer organisations themselves are poorly organised, the wheat production has difficulties in gaining market access. That is why this production is mainly processed locally into flour and other locally consumed products. The women of Timbuktu, who traditionally hold wheat-processing in their hands, have no means of mechanisation. Every part of the process, from sifting to kneading, preparing and baking is done manually.

All this, of course, brings about high production costs. Moreover, the final products, which are highly appreciated for their tastiness, are of variable quality. And hygiene is not controlled, which makes it difficult to commercialise the products beyond a neighbourly network. So, it is very hard for these women to move from a small-scale “pseudo subsistence” activity to a professional activity that could lead to “micro-entrepreneurship”.

Alkama project

The objective of the Support project for the wheat production sector in the Timbuktu region (the Alkama project) is to strengthen the production and commercialisation of wheat (alkama means ‘wheat’ in Songhaï, the language of the wheat producers and processors in the Timbuktu region).
How? By improving the viability of the wheat sector in order to create, on the one hand, additional resources, and on the other hand, added value for rural and urban families of the Timbuktu region.

Additional resources are generated by supporting producer associations in order to increase the yield per hectare and the profitability of this production. This support comes in particular through investments in planning of irrigation in villages, in the purchase of motor pumps and in storage infrastructure.

Support to women’s associations that process wheat into end products is also planned and aims at improving the productivity and profitability of their activities. This is done, for instance, through the mechanisation of part of the production and by improving the quality of the products by respecting (inter)national hygiene standards. To do so, very small production workshops are planned and the launch of micro projects is supported. Support to training is also planned (functional literacy classes...).

Moreover, in order to function better all these associations will benefit of technical, commercial and management consultancy. Exchange visits between organisations are also planned to enable the exchange of good practices.

Besides, the project strengthens governance and helps support services (regional directorates of different ministries (Agriculture, Rural Engineering and Advancement of Women, Children and the Family), Chamber of Agriculture of Timbuktu, Institute of Rural Economy) in better supporting the producers and processors in their respective activities. This is namely done through the purchase of IT equipment and IT training. This should “professionalize” the sector.

• Mali
• Agriculture & Rural Development