Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project

In 1993 IFAD launched this project to rehabilitate the livestock sector by assisting the Government in replacing some of the animals lost during the civil war. One of the project’s aims was to improve poor people’s access to rural credit and foster participation through the formation of cooperatives.

The project assisted 8,500 families in the Bekaa Valley, helping them rebuild lost herds, replacing existing stock with improved breeds and strengthening animal health services. Covering the areas of Hermel, Rachia, West Bekaa, Baalbeck and Zahle, the project focused on the role of women, especially those who are heads of households, enhancing the livelihoods of women participants by upgrading their skills through practical training and small loans. Among those who benefited from credit, some 500 households headed by women have successfully developed small-scale income-generating enterprises. The contribution to the local economy in the Bekaa Valley helped establish 16 rural women’s cooperatives, 4 milk collection cooperatives, 24 farmers’ cooperatives and a wide-ranging programme for cooperative credit delivery. After the introduction of artificial insemination, the milk production capacity of dairy farms in the Bekaa Valley increased from about 3,500 litres to more than 6,000.

Source: IFAD