National Agriculture Project

The goal of this project is to sustainably raise smallholder farmers' productivity through improved water resources and integrated agricultural production. The project is national in scope, covering a total estimated area of 1.2 million hectares. It targets poor and food-insecure households with particular attention to households headed by women, which will receive priority in land allocation in new irrigation zones.

The project's agricultural production component includes:

• Development of a national seed system and research to develop improved crop varieties and produce breeder and foundation seeds
• Support to three seed-processing centres and enhancement of seed certification services
• Intensification of irrigated and rainfed crop production through the provision of fertilizers, agrochemicals, improved seeds, conservation agriculture trials and improved extension services
• Promotion of small livestock investments for the lowest-income earners and women with limited access to land.

By 2017, the project is expected to result in annual incremental food crop production of 85,653 metric tonnes of grain and 9,000 metric tonnes of fruit and vegetables, in addition to incremental livestock outputs of poultry meat, milk, eggs and honey.

Source: IFAD