PAMA Support Project

PAMA Support Programme

The PAMA (Portuguese acronym for Agricultural Markets Support Programme) was developed to support the implementation of the government's major economic reforms launched during the 1990s, including the commercialisation of smallholder farming through better access to markets and improved linkages with private sector operators. The project is national in scope, but focuses in particular on three areas in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Niassa in the north and Maputo in the south. In all three areas there is good potential to improve market linkages and increase agricultural production.

The project's goal is to increase the incomes and food security of smallholder farmers and promote broad-based economic growth through improved market organization and access. It helps finance market linkage development at national level, and also makes funds available to government institutions in support of PAMA. The project aims to increase the number of smallholders marketing their produce, to stimulate increased levels of marketed production and to improve competition and sales revenue, to the general benefit of all smallholder producers.

The project sets an innovative precedent in terms of the design process. In recognition of the fact that the stakeholders in the market chain are those best qualified to make the necessary judgements for an effective project design, the first years of implementation have been set aside for an exhaustive participatory planning process.

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Source: IFAD