Food Crops Intensification Project

In the project areas, farming is on a subsistence level and the average farm size is 1.25 ha. The area has a large concentration of small-scale farmers, strong population pressure, low soil fertility, irregular rainfall and inadequate infrastructure. But it also has a good potential for food crop development.

The aim of the project was to ensure an increase in sustainable food production, and to improve the nutrition level of households in the area and their living and working conditions. Activities focused on:

• establishing an erosion control programme
• intensifying production
• reducing post-harvest losses
• improving infrastructure, marketing conditions and support services

The project helped farmers form groups and worked with them to achieve results, starting from a baseline inventory of the main agricultural and socio-economic features of the various zones. Activities included experimentation and seed production, development of technological packages, and distribution of tools, equipment and inputs.

The project supported credit to finance inputs for poor farmers through the Bureau of Agricultural Credit.