Programme area. The programme area will comprise four production basins in Maniema Province corresponding to the "territories" of Kabambaré, Kasongo, Kibombo and Pangi, and the hinterland of Kindu.

Target group. The target group will include about 960,000 chronically food-insecure, subsistence-oriented crop farmers (about 60 per cent of Maniema Province's total population) and 480,000 mixed farmers (crops, livestock) who are vulnerable to food insecurity and poverty (about 30 per cent of the total population). Within these broad categories, the programme will focus on particularly disadvantaged subcategories such as women, young people (including former child soldiers) and a broad range of socially marginalized groups. At least 75,000 households, or 50 per cent of households in the programme area, are expected to benefit directly from the programme.

Programme objectives. The programme's overall objective is to help reduce poverty and food insecurity and improve living conditions at the grass-roots level in Maniema Province. Its specific objectives are to: (i) raise rural incomes by rehabilitating agricultural production (crops, livestock, fish) and by improving producers' access to markets; and (ii) improve rural households' access to basic social services (health, education, water supply and sanitation).

Programme description. The programme will have four components:

• Market access improvement and infrastructure rehabilitation. The programme will (i) rehabilitate/maintain road infrastructure, upgrading about 1,000 kilometres of rural feeder roads and their crossing structures; (ii) improve access to markets by upgrading, building or rehabilitating marketing infrastructure and establishing a market information system; and (iii) strengthen local capacity to improve/facilitate access to markets.

• Agricultural production rehabilitation (crops, animals, fish). The programme will (i) establish a self-sustaining system for the production and distribution of quality seeds and for the improved breeding of fingerlings; (ii) promote improved production practices; (iii) develop agro-based incoming-generating activities and micro-projects; and (iv) support target group organization and capacity-building, and the strengthening of implementing partners. A local development fund will be established.

• Access to basic social services. The programme will improve local health and nutrition status by, among others, carrying out an HIV/AIDS awareness programme and ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and primary education. It will also strengthen the management of social services.

• Programme coordination and management. Support will be provided to the Project Management Unit operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development; to the liaison office for IFAD projects in Kinshasa; and to the outreach offices to be established under the programme.

Important features. The proposed programme is in line with IFAD's country strategic opportunities paper for the Democratic Republic of Congo, and with national and provincial poverty reduction strategy papers. Maniema Province was specifically selected for programme intervention because of the devastation it suffered during the seven-year civil war. Due to the severe damage to roads and other infrastructure, the province remains isolated and service provision and market access are difficult. The result is that subsistence agricultural activities are at risk, and the population is chronically malnourished. An important innovative feature of the programme is its emphasis on improving the transportation of agricultural products through youth groups with the help of tricycles or animal-drawn carts. Also innovative is the use of cell phone technologies, where available, to obtain and transmit market information via the short message system (sms).

Potential cofinanciers. Discussions are under way with the World Bank and Belgian Technical Cooperation for parallel financing of project activities. The Belgian Survival Fund's contribution of US$7 million for the access to basic social services component is still to be confirmed. The OPEC Fund for International Development has confirmed financing of US$15 million.

Facts and figures Region: Western and Central Africa Programme ID number: 1392 Nature of programme: Rehabilitation of agricultural production, infrastructure and access to basic social services Programme cost (provisional): US$44.31 million Estimated IFAD grant: To be determined Cofinancing gap: See section on potential cofinanciers Domestic contribution: To be determined Stage of programme cycle: Under formulation Next step in programme development: Appraisal scheduled for April 2008, to be preceded by a country meeting at end-March 2008 to discuss the Technical Review Committee's comments. Tentative date for consideration by the Executive Board: September 2008 Programme duration: Seven years Tentative programme start-up date: December 2009 Implementing agency: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Borrower: Democratic Republic of the Congo Hot links Rural poverty in Congo IFAD operations in Congo Planned project activities disclaimer Contact information Mr M. Béavogui Director, Western and Central Africa Mr L. Sarr Country Programme Manager e-mail: l.sarr@ifad.org International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Via Paolo di Dono, 44, 00142 Rome, Italy Tel: +39 0654591 e-mail: ifad@ifad.org