Aflatoxin Mitigation Program in The Gambia (Pilot Project) The project concerns the purchase of 100 tons of Aflasafe and application on 5,000 ha of groundnuts fields during planting seasons 2018-2019. The groundnuts will be processed and exported to the EU. When verified as aflatoxin free, the harvested groundnuts will be purchased from the farmers with a 10% premium on the declared farm gate price. The processed groundnuts?about 20% of the total volume harvested?will be exported to the EU for a price per ton 30% higher compared to 2016. The project is an extension of the previous experiments carried during 2014-2016 but now involves a practical ?go-to market? element, which will validate that aflatoxin free groundnuts effectively increases farmer?s revenues and open new markets for The Gambia. The Project consist of four components: Component 1: Identification of farmers The objective of this component is to identify 7,350 fields totalling 5,000 ha. It will provide firsthand indication of the effectiveness of value redistribution from aflatoxin free groundnuts to famers and the Government. 3,234 groundnut fields have already been selected for the 3 tests carried between 2014 and 2016. Therefore, the project will finance identification of 4,116 new fields or 2,800 ha, especially in the country?s groundnut belt including the North Bank and Central Rivers divisions, where aflatoxin contamination reach levels 4 to 5 times beyond the national average. The component will finance transportation, fuel and dispatch of additional staff from the Department of Agriculture Extension Services to the selected areas. The component is expected to start early June before the planting season and last a maximum of 1 month. Component 2: Purchase of Aflasafe and lab test equipment Component 2 will finance the purchase of 100 tons of Aflasafe (50 tons per year) and the acquisition of lab test equipment. The purpose is to combat contamination and verify contamination levels throughout the value chain (from planting, harvesting to processing and before export) to ensure that exports are not rejected at the destination market. In order to ensure timely application of Aflasafe for the upcoming season, it must be delivered by end of June 2018 and applied 3 to 4 weeks after planting, namely in July 2018. This component will also finance the purchase of 12 Vicam portable fluorometric that will be deployed in all selected areas. The equipment will guarantee precise numerical results ? onsite and in the control lab ? and deliver ng/g numerical results in as little time as 10 minutes. Component 3: Training, distribution and application The objective of component 3 is to train the farmers and monitor the application of Aflasafe on the selected fields. The component will leverage on the lessons learnt from mobilisation of farmers and training during the 3 previous experiences and will be utilized, especially to ensure that all farmers participate and can benefit from the scheme. Component 3 will finance trainings of trainers from the Department of Agriculture?s extension services, training of the farmers, distribution and monitoring of Aflasafe application. Training providers will ensure that selected farmers also follow good agricultural practices throughout the production and harvesting cycles in terms of timely weeding, windrowing during harvest and stalking groundnuts above ground level to improve aeration and avoid absorption of ground moisture conduce to contamination. The component financing will include transportation, fuel and dispatch of additional staff from the Department of Agriculture Extension Services, Agriculture Plant Protection Services (APPS), National Agriculture Research Institute, Department of Agriculture extension service and NFSC. Training of trainers will occur simultaneously than the identification of farmers. Training of farmers will happen at the end of June, distribution and monitoring will occur between July and December, at the end of the harvesting season. Component 4: Marketing Component 4 will finance the marketing campaign between December and March 2018. NFSC will buy separately from the farmers selected for the project. This will reduce the cost of labour and transportation, which will be an additional incentive to the premium price the farmers will receive. In case concentration show levels between 0 and less than 10 ng/g, groundnuts will be purchased at premium prices at the farmers? locations. Throughout the verification process, NFSC will ensure that the product application and its benefits carry-over after harvest, in storage and transportation. NFSC will process the groundnuts into edibles and birdfeed to yield 52 full load containers of 20 tons each (1,040 tons), which will be exported to the United Kingdom, The Gambia?s traditional market, as the initial steps to re-entering other European markets. Executing Agency The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSC) will execute the project. It will purchase the Aflasafe and oversee the execution of all components of the project. The Agriculture Plant Protection Services (APPS) and National Agriculture Research Industry (NARI) will provide the training of trainers. The Department of Agriculture extension service will deploy its staff locally and administer the training to the farmers and assist NFSC in the conduct of the verification tests. MOTIE, through the Trade Directorate coordinating EIF programme implementation in the Gambia, will be involved in the implementation of the project particularly in relation to Components 1 and 3. A process activities road map will be prepared by NFSC and MOTIE will identified the activities were it will be participating.