Agricultural Development Programme in the Highlands

Agricultural Development Programme in the Highlands (ODR)

The Agricultural Development Programme in the Highlands was launched in 1988 against the backdrop of the Government’s policy to increase food production so that self-sufficiency in rice would be achieved by 1990. The objectives were therefore to increase agricultural production, develop income-generating activities, promote the establishment of farmers’ groups so that they could gain collective access to credit or obtain discounts on group purchases, and initiate a farmer-centred development process based on research and extension.

To achieve these objectives, the programme launched the following activities:

• Rehabilitation of infrastructure (roads and irrigation systems) and boosting of local institutions
• Boosting of extension services in the field
• Intensification and diversification of agriculture
• Research and development undertaken in cooperation with extension services and farmers

Source: IFAD