16 July 2004
Source: U.N. Wire

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is to launch a program worth more than $20 million to help rebuild its agricultural sector and provide farmers with access to tools, information, technology and markets, the International Fund for Agricultural Development said yesterday.

The program, which will help 70,000 poor rural families left destitute after a five-year civil war, is being financed by a loan from IFAD and by the Belgian government.

''Poverty is one of the cruelest legacies of conflict,'' said Leopold Sarr, IFAD's country portfolio manager for D.R.C. ''Without access to agricultural inputs and markets, the road to recovery would be even longer. This program will make a difference, especially to highly vulnerable groups, such as women and pygmies.''

The program's main features are community organization networks that provide training and capacity building. For example, farmers will learn how to raise crop yields by using seeds and fertilizer (IFAD release, July 15).