Burkina: Two projects worth 75 billion CFA francs launched to promote food and nutritional security

Ouagadougou: The Burkinabè government officially launched on Tuesday, two projects of 75 billion CFA francs lasting five years, which will affect approximately 155 thousand agricultural households and 986,746 indirect beneficiaries, for the promotion food and nutritional security. 'This morning we have just launched two projects in the agricultural sector. These two projects will help strengthen the resilience of communities vis-à-vis food insecurity and will also help develop value chains including corn, soya, fish and poultry,' declared the Minister Delegate in charge of Animal resources, Amadou Dicko. According to him, the Integrated Development of Corn, Soya, Poultry and Fish Value Chains and Resilience Project (PIMSAR) and Project 2 of the Program for Strengthening Resilience to Food and Nutritional Insecurity in the Sahel (P2-P2RS), were co-financed to the tune of 75 billion FCFA by the Burkinabe State and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Dicko, who spoke on Tuesday in Ouagadougou, during the off icial launch ceremony of the two 5-year projects, specified that they will affect 155 thousand agricultural households and 986,746 indirect beneficiaries. He also explained that the indirect beneficiaries are made up of at least 50% women and young people and around 7,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs). The Minister Delegate in charge of Animal Resources, specified that the two projects are part of the 2023-2025 agropastoral and fisheries offensive, launched last August by the authorities, the objective of which is to reduce the country's dependence on -with regard to the importation of consumer products and the creation of decent jobs for the population. 'We call on the rural world to take ownership of these projects and to get involved so that we can have good results on the ground and build structuring infrastructures for substantial agricultural production,' argued Amadou Dicko. The AfDB country representative in Burkina Faso, Daniel N'doye, indicated that the State makes agriculture its main pri ority, through the agricultural offensive. For Mr. N'doye, his institution adheres to this government strategy which promotes the resilience of populations through an increase in their income. According to him, these two projects will increase agricultural production and strengthen food and nutritional security in this security context in the country. 'These two projects are indeed perfectly consistent with the vision of the AfDB, particularly the operational priority which consists of feeding Africa,' he noted Source: Burkina Information Agency