Programme area. The programme activities will be concentrated in rural dry areas in the regions of Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Gorgol, Guidimakha, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Tagant and Trarza. These areas are characterized by a high incidence of poverty and extreme poverty. Target group. The target group consists of women, young people and men living in the programme area. Target group members are already involved in production related to the seven value chains to be supported by the programme (vegetables, dates, milk, poultry, skins and hides, red meat and non-timber forest products). The direct target group will consist of an estimated 9,500 households and the indirect target group, approximately 32,000 households. Programme objectives. The programme's goal is to improve the incomes and living conditions of the target group, in particular, women and young people. More specifically, the programme will seek to increase, in a sustainable manner, the target group's access to the value added that will be created through the development of the seven agricultural value chains. Programme description. In addition to programme management and monitoring and evaluation, the programme will have three components:
Important features. This programme comes at an important time in Mauritania's development. By 2010, it is expected that two thirds of the population will live in urban areas. Nouakchott is already a major consumer of agricultural products, most of which are imported (cereals, vegetables, milk, dates and poultry). Given the surge in food prices, which is partly structural in nature, there is strong economic justification to substitute some of these imports through increased domestic production. The programme's support to the selected agricultural value chains will achieve the double objective of reducing the poverty of the target group while increasing national production, thus lessening the country's reliance on food imports and its vulnerability to price increases. The programme is fully in line with the 2007 results-based country strategic opportunities programme, in particular with regard to the third strategic objective of achieving sustainable agricultural development and food security. The programme is also aligned with Mauritania's second poverty reduction strategy paper; the rural sector development strategy, which underlines the importance of the value chain approach; the livestock development strategy; and the agribusiness development strategy. The value chain development approach is innovative for Mauritania and the programme represents the first such initiative in the country. This approach will bring together all value chain actors (from the public sector, private sector, civil society, etc.) to discuss such issues as strategy development, activities, regulatory frameworks, import/export prices and taxes. Cofinancier and domestic contribution. Italy has already accorded US$2.0 million, on a grant basis, in cofinancing through the Facility to Support Rural Finance (RuralFin) supplementary funds. The Government will provide US$2.6 million and the beneficiaries will contribute US$1.2 million. |
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