The 12 institutions of the Big Ten conference are making a significant impact on the world each and every day. Watch the newest Big Ten Network program, "Impact the World," which premieres at 9:30 p.m. EST January 10.

More Information »

EAST LANSING, Mich. — This summer, two Michigan State University researchers are promoting regional agricultural trade in West Africa by distributing up-to-date market data to farmers and traders in remote areas via radio broadcasts. 

With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the West Africa Market Information and Agricultural Trade Promotion project is operating out of Mali and will coordinate the national Market Information Systems (MIS) of the selected countries – Mali, Niger and Guinea.

“Market Information Systems is an organization that gathers information for agricultural markets such as prices and other market conditions, analyzes the data and diffuses the information via radio broadcasts in the form of farm news reports to farmers, consumers and policymakers,” said John Staatz, a professor of agricultural economics.

Building upon what already exists in Mali – thanks to previous MSU efforts supported by the United States Agency for International Development – MIS staff is visiting area markets and recording the high and low prices for grains, crops and livestock. Once the statistics are recorded on solar-powered laptops, the information is e-mailed by radio waves to regional offices, where the data are sorted and compiled.

Radio stations under contract with the project routinely broadcast the market reports to listeners.

In a region where AM/FM mini radio sets are as common as telephones in average American homes, the farm-pricing FM radio show brings up-to-date prices on crops and livestock to listeners everywhere.

In Mali, about 70 percent of its 11 million people routinely tune in to the market report.

Staatz and Nango Dembele, visiting assistant professor of agricultural economics, hope to gradually extend the project to the trading bloc composed of 15 countries on Africa’s west coast known as ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States).

“The farmer will benefit through increased demand for his products by linking to a broader regional market,” Staatz said. “Knowing when and where to sell, and for what price, makes a great difference.”

Because of the cross-border trading that is involved, the MIS networks will include, as part of their activities with the traders, needed commercial information such as who is a reliable trading partner in neighboring countries, what are the grades and standards required by importers, as well as what the import regulations are.

“The regional traders’ network with whom we are working is open to all countries in ECOWAS, and ECOWAS is now going to be sponsoring regional agricultural market outlook conferences that MSU helped initiate in 1999 in a previous phase of our work on regional market information,” Staatz added.

Increases in regional trade will be assessed by fall 2008 to demonstrate the benefits of this project. With the example of Mali, where an average millet farm has added $100 to its annual income, this project is expected to be just as promising. Millet belongs to a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, or grains, grown around the world for animal and human food.

###

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.