Value Chain Development Programme Phase II

The second phase of Value Chain Development Programme (PRODEFI II) aims to strengthen the achievements of the first phase of the programme in the provinces of Bubanza, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karusi, Kayanza, Muramvya, Ngozi, as well as the province of Muyinga. IFAD's proposed complementary grant under the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) will increase rural households' resilience to climate change and will intensify crops and livestock production to improve food security and their nutritional status. In addition, PRODEFI-II will help the smallholder farmers of the programme area to improve the processing and the marketing of their products. It will also create jobs for the young people.

The programme will develop financial services products to finance the production, the processing circles and the storage facilities. It will increase physical productive capital by building the resilience of production systems to climate change; intensify crop and livestock farming to improve nutritional status and structure the milk and rice value chains to promote youth employment. To ensure the sustainability and impact, PRODEFI-II will build the capacity of the farmers' organizations through training, particularly in natural resource management.

The programme will reach out to and benefit 33,534 rural households. It is estimated that at least 30 per cent of the beneficiaries will be women including those who head household and 30 per cent young people.

Source: IFAD