The World Bank Board of Executive
Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit
of US$ 89.4 million to support efforts of the Governments of Malawi, Mozambique
and Zambia to boost food and farm productivity.
Agriculture is the largest sector in
the economies of the three countries and a major source of livelihoods for an
estimated 277 million people living across southern Africa. Raising
agricultural productivity is critical for fighting poverty, achieving food
security and protecting the environment.
“Africa is taking major strides to improve its farm economy, which is
necessary for building shared prosperity,” said Tijan Sallah, World Bank Sector Manager for Agriculture and Irrigation in
Malawi and Zambia. “This program will finance strategic investments that
will empower farmers with cutting-edge knowledge while increasing regional
cooperation in agricultural research across southern Africa.”
The funding will help to establish
Regional Centers of Leadership for major food staples including maize, rice,
and food legumes, build agricultural research capacity, support regional
collaboration in technology dissemination, boost farmer training and intensify
knowledge-transfer activities. At least 30 percent of targeted farmers will be
women.
The project is fully aligned with the
Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and supports
its call for scaling-up regional collaboration in agricultural research and
development as a way to efficiently address capacity constraints and increase
technology spillovers in the rural economy. In addition to targeting farmers
and livestock producers, the program is expected to directly benefit
agricultural researchers, extension agents, seed producers and farm input
suppliers. Every R&D project financed under the program will have a
dissemination plan and support activities designed to ensure that new
technologies do not remain “on the shelf” and move quickly to farmers fields.
“The agricultural sector has a strong influence on growth, employment,
food security and poverty reduction efforts benefiting the entire economy,”
said Michael Morris and Melissa Brown,
World Bank Co-Task Team Leaders.
“We look forward to the
successful implementation of this innovative project that takes a
farmer-centric approach to development and dissemination of improved crop
varieties and promising farm practices.”
The Agricultural Productivity Program
for Southern Africa will also provide a US$0.6 million grant to the Centre for
Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa
(CCARDESA).
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