Development of a regional agro-input market in West Africa: the IFDC-MIR Project’s Contribution BURKINA FASO - The MIR (Marketing Inputs Regionally) project is financed by the Directorate General for International Cooperation of the Netherlands (DGIS) and implemented by IFDC in collaboration with numerous partners. The rationale behind the project is the ever decreasing agricultural production and/or productivity in ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS countries. One of the main reasons for this was found to be the fact that soils are depleted due to insufficient or improper use of farm inputs. The inadequate supply of affordable quality inputs, especially fertilizers, at the farm gate is considered to be a major bottleneck. To address this issue, since 2003 IFDC is implementing this 5-year MIR project to strengthen the private sector and facilitate dialogue among stakeholders with the aim of creating a regional market for agricultural inputs in West Africa. The project is setting the stage for improved market efficiency and increased competition. Key activities include reform and harmonization of policies, regulations, and practices related to seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products for the region. Private sector involvement is strongly promoted. The project is based in Burkina Faso with offices in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. category:  agriculture author:  MIR Project (Francis Dabi subregion :  date:  05 Oct '07