Mara Region Farmer's Initiative Project

The main objectives of the project were to increase food security and reduce poverty in the Mara region.

There are three geographical zones in the Mara region. The lakeshore zone comprises a strip of land along Lake Victoria, the midlands is a transition area stretching between the lakeshore and the Tarime highlands, and the highlands is an area with great agricultural potential at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,800 meters above sea level.

The project’s target group included smallholders with less than 1.62 ha of land in the lakeshore zone and with less than 4.05 ha in the midlands and highlands.

The project's goals included:

• improving production of staple foods such as cassava, sweet potatoes and beans
• diversifying income sources by introducing cash crops such as cotton, coffee, chickpeas and sunflower
• linking farmers to markets by building roads
• reducing water scarcity through improved water management
• introducing integrated pest management to reduce environmental degradation
  

Source: IFAD

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In this section Project overview Documents Contact information Mr Samuel Eremie Country programme manager IFAD Via Paolo di Dono, 44 00142 Rome, Italy Tel: +39 0654592079 Fax: +39 0654593079 s.eremie@ifad.org Facts and figures Total cost: US$19.4 million IFAD loan: US$14.4 million Cofinancing: Belgian Survival Fund (BSF) Joint Programme (US$2.2 million) Duration: 1996-2002 Geographical area: Mara region Directly benefiting: 40,000 households Status: closed Partners Belgian Survival Fund (BSF) Joint Programme