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Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project.
A shepherd pictured against a rocky landscape in the Bekaa valley.
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Project area. The project will mainly be implemented in three priority focus areas: Akkar-Dannieh; North Baalbeck and Hermel; and South/Lower Litani. However, up to one fourth of project activities will be carried out in other parts of the country.
Target group. The project will directly benefit poor small-farm households that (i) were directly or indirectly affected by the war in July 2006, (ii) have landholdings outside existing irrigation schemes and (iii) derive their livelihoods from agriculture production and agro-food processing. An emphasis will be placed on woman-headed households.
Project objectives. The overall goal of the project is to reduce rural poverty by substantially increasing the agricultural productivity and incomes of the targeted households in the project area. This will be achieved through: (i) improvements in soil and water management and development of small and medium-sized water harvesting and soil and water conservation measures; (ii) increased agricultural productivity and better market linkages for small farmers through the provision of technical support services; and (iii) strengthened capacity of project implementing agencies and farmers′ organizations.
Project description. The project will have three components, which will be further developed during project design:
- Soil and water conservation development. The project will finance the mobilization and distribution of water through the construction of small and medium-sized hill lakes (for collection of run-off rainwater), a primary irrigation network for farm-gate delivery of water from two medium-sized lakes, terracing and retaining walls, and small earth/concrete reservoirs for supplemental on-farm irrigation. It will also provide institutional strengthening and technical assistance in soil and water conservation.
- Technical support for improving agricultural production and marketing. The project will provide demand-driven agricultural extension, marketing support and irrigation advisory services to farmers, and capacity-building to farmers′ groups and associations. Market support will include the provision of services such as market facilitation, grading and packaging, where needed in the project focus areas. These services will be provided by farmer service centres, which will operate on a commercial basis to ensure post-project sustainability.
- Project management and support. The project will provide institutional support to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Green Plan. It will also provide funds for baseline surveys, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management activities.
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A water and soil conservation management scheme typical of the hilly Southern Lebanon landscape: a lake for water harvesting is combined with terracing and a small irrigation system.
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Important features. The agricultural sector was severely hit during the war in 2006. Loss of agricultural production worsened the living conditions of the most vulnerable populations and increased income disparities in all affected rural areas, but particularly in agricultural areas with high concentrations of poor households. In response to a request from the Government of Lebanon, IFAD is planning to resume its financing of rural development projects in the country. The proposed project is consistent with the Government′s strategy for reconstruction and development following the 2006 war. It has been built around two objectives related to rural poverty reduction: (i) improved water management; and (ii) better market linkages for smallholders. Water resource management will be promoted by the project through the development of small irrigation schemes. The project will also use public-private partnerships to deliver sustainable extension and marketing support to farmers and to strengthen pro-poor farmers′ organizations.
Potential cofinanciers. The OPEC Fund for International Development has agreed to bridge the cofinancing gap of US$8.4 million.
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| Facts and figures |
- Project name:
Region: Near East and North Africa
- Project ID number: 1421
- Nature of project: Agricultural development
- Estimated project cost (provisional): US$16.6 million
- Estimated IFAD loan: US$4.0 million (plus a grant of US$0.6 million)
- Cofinancing gap: See section on potential cofinanciers
- Estimated domestic contribution: US$3.7 million
- Proposed terms: Ordinary
- Stage of project cycle: Final design
- Next step in project development: Quality assurance scheduled for May 2009
- Tentative date for consideration by the Executive Board: September 2009
- Project duration: Six years
- Tentative project start-up date: 2010
- Implementing agency: Green Plan, under the Ministry of Agriculture
- Borrower: Republic of Lebanon
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| Contact information |
Mr Nadim Khouri
Director, Near East and North Africa Division
Mr. A. Merzouk
Country Programme Manager e-mail: a.merzouk@ifad.org
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Via Paolo di Dono, 44, 00142 Rome, Italy
Tel: + 39 0654591
e-mail: ifad@ifad.org |
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