Burkina: Parliament ratifies a 71.73 billion FCFA agreement from FIDA, in favor of small farmers

Ouagadougou: The Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) ratified Tuesday a credit agreement of 71.73 billion FCFA, signed between the government and the International Development Fund (IFAD), for the financing of Program for strengthening the resilience of small producers (RESI-2P), operating in the North and Center-West regions for a period of eight years. According to the rapporteur of the Finance and Budget Commission (COMFIB) of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT), Daaga Nassouri, the project aims to strengthen the resilience of poor small farmers, particularly women, youth, people people with disabilities and internally displaced people . And this, through sustainable investments aimed at food and nutritional security and increased income, reports the state daily Sidwaya this Wednesday. Mr. Nassouri said that the project is structured into three components: 'strengthening the resilience of production systems', 'valorization and competitiveness of sectors' and 'coordination, management, monito ring-evaluation and knowledge management". It will operate in the North and Center-West for a period of eight years. On October 11, 2023, Burkina and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed a financing agreement for the Program for Strengthening the Resilience of Small Producers (RESI-2P). In the Northern region, the program provides for 50,500 direct beneficiaries, divided between 37,956 women, 47,445 young people, 438 people living with disabilities and 12,336 internally displaced persons (IDPs). As for the Center-West region, there are 58,500 people, made up of 45,498 women, 56,873 young people, 658 people living with disabilities and 760 IDPs. The project's target sectors are market garden crops (tomato, onion, pepper), dry cereals (corn, sorghum, millet), cowpea, rice, tubers (cassava and orange-fleshed sweet potato (ODSP)). Poultry farming, pig farming, as well as non-timber forest products (NTFP) such as baobab and moringa are also affected. According to the same source, a t the end of the examination of the bill, the Finance and Budget Committee (COMFIB) estimated that the ratification of the credit agreement will contribute to improving the productivity of the targeted sectors, facilitate the market access through infrastructure development and productive partnerships with market operators. This program will also strengthen the capacities of actors in the target sectors, including knowledge of nutritional practices, facilitate access to agro-climatic information, monitoring of the water table and better land security. However, COMFIB urged the government to be more rigorous in the implementation of projects and programs for greater impact for the benefit of the populations of Burkina, concluded the source. Source: Burkina Information Agency