IFAD $ 18.5m loan to boost food security, raise farmer’s incomes in Côte d’Ivoire

Over 32,500 rural households in the Bagoué, Poro, Tchologo, Hambol and Gbêkê regions will benefit from a financial agreement signed between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Cote d’Ivoire to increase the incomes and food and nutrition security of rural households. The programme will promote market-oriented agriculture and help farmers add value to their products, as a way to reduce rural poverty and stimulate economic growth in the programme areas.
The financing agreement for the Agricultural Value Chains Development Programme (PADFA) was signed in Rome by Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, and Seydou Cissé, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to FAO, IFAD and WFP.
The total cost of the programme is USD71.8 million, including a USD 18.5 million loan from IFAD. The project will be co-financed by the OPEC Fund for International Development (USD 19 million), the Government of Côte d’Ivoire (USD 4.2 million), and the beneficiaries themselves (USD 10.2 million), with USD 19.9 million to come from other sources.
In Côte d’Ivoire, agricultural development projects have traditionally concentrated on boosting productivity, but insufficient investments have been made in post-harvest activities such as conservation, processing and marketing.  The IFAD-funded Support to Agricultural Production and Marketing Project (PROPACOM) and other projects have introduced hydro-agricultural improvements and invested in disseminating improved farming technologies. Drawing lessons learned from the experience of these projects, PADFA will ensure continuity with PROPACOM and scale up tangible results while introducing further innovations.