This document gives a review of different classical approaches developed by producer organisations (PO) of the Office du Niger zone (ON) : these POs constitute stocks of rice destined for commercialisation; these stocks can be pooled from different sources: material payments for services (threshing fees, input credits); credits from organisations…
The document further describes the experience of the Jèka Feeré (« Sell together » in Bamanan) Economic Interest Group (EIG) which helps its member organisations to better commercialise their rice production within the same ON zone. The whole system relies on the POs and producers at the base. The EIG plays the role of intermediary between buyers and sellers, it does not stock rice or take bank loans, it facilitates the transactions through different actions :
- a jointly agreed reference price that takes into account the minimum acceptable price for producers, and market prices ;
- assessment of supply : evaluation of the available stocks ready for commercialisation ;
- market research : on the basis of consultations relating to the reference price, the group also evaluates the global available supplies, and then is able to position itself in the market and to negotiate contracts ;
- signing of commercialisation contracts with buyers with the support of specialised technicians ;
- payments to producers: the EIG has bank accounts which allow its clients to carry out secured bank transfers ;
- follow-up – accompaniment of transactions : a specialised commission verifies the respect of the terms stipulated in the contract : conformity of product quality and packaging, compliance with delivery deadlines…
In this system, the Jèka Feeré EIG also facilitates contacts between actors to resolve the problem of rice quality (processing equipment tests with an agro enterprise, access to advantageous financing for the purchase of hulling machines,…).
The EIG thus markets about 1 500 to 3 000 tonnes of rice annually :
- 70 % for supply to deficit zones (Kayes, Kidal) through mini grain exchanges organised by Afrique Verte ;
- 20 % for actors in the urban market (cereal traders) ;
- 10 % in the framework of institutional markets (to charity structures that have programmes aimed at supplying cereal banks).
In a context where the majority of producers in the ON zone sell their rice at harvest (at low prices), and where financing for commercialisation/storage is limited with respect to the needs, the system developed by the Jèka Feeré EIG has the advantage that it provides an answer to the problem of commercialisation in this zone. It does not entail credit nor storage, but it facilitates transactions between the suppliers and buyers and at the same time works to improve the quality of the product. This allows producers to obtain better value for their rice.
