IFAD Supported Project in Rural Angola

A new International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) supported project in rural Angolan provinces of Bié, Huambo and Malanje is expected to boost farmers’ income by improving agricultural productivity and revitalizing markets. Some 126,000 households in the area are expected to directly benefit from the project, most of which are smallholder farmers who cultivate on average 1-2 hectares of cropland.

The project will establish community-driven participatory processes to identify local needs for small-scale agricultural investments, which will be funded through matching grants. It will also provide farmers with skill and knowledge by setting up Farmer Field Schools and holding workshops. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other relevant institutions will also be provided with equipment and skills to improve their capacity to develop an appropriate policy framework for agricultural intensification and marketing.

Three decades of war have left Angola with one of the highest poverty level in the world. Sixty eight per cent of Angolans live below the poverty line and 15 per cent of households live in extreme poverty. The IFAD supported project aims to ensure food security and help increase incomes, particularly for people living in the poorest areas of the central highlands.

For more details visit http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2008/23.htm