Abidjan - On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, in Abidjan, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a financial package of 14.74 million US dollars for the implementation of the Project to Strengthen the Livelihoods of Smallholders and Women in the N'zi Region (PREMOPEF), in Central Côte d'Ivoire.

The Bank's financial support consists of a $2.74 million loan from the African Development Fund and a $12 million grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GASFP), according to a press release published by APO Group on Thursday.

PREMOPEF will cover the three departments of the Nzi region, namely Dimbokro, Bocanda and Kouassi-Kouassikro, and will directly affect 62 villages in the region. The project should contribute to reducing the economic vulnerability of households and improving their resilience to economic shocks more broadly.

To do so, it will facilitate the access of small-scale farmers, especially women and youth, to goods and services, increasing productivity, production and incomes, while ensuring their inclusion in value chains.

The project will be implemented in the production sectors of yam, manioc, market gardening and traditional poultry. In particular, it provides for the development of vegetable farming areas for 1,350 small-scale farmers on 100 hectares, including the rehabilitation of eight dams, the construction of water catchments from the Nzi River and a lake, the construction of ten pumping stations on the dams, the installation of irrigation systems (semi-Californian on 70 hectares and the drip system on 30 hectares).

In terms of support, small agricultural enterprises run by young people and women, numbering around 100, will be equipped with equipment and materials for the transport of products, mechanization services, including the promotion of cassava harvesting technologies.

PREMOPEF will directly reach 60,000 people, representing 25% of the population of the Nzi region, 50% of whom are women and 35% of young people. With project interventions, the expected additional annual production is estimated at 522 tons of vegetables, 4,500 tons of cassava, 3,750 tons of yams and 1.5 million heads of poultry.

“By focusing on the promotion of water mobilization and irrigation technologies, the dissemination of efficient agricultural practices that are resilient to climate change and the support of small agricultural businesses led by young people and women, including the processing of agricultural products, the PREMOPEF project addresses the key factors in reducing fragility and strengthening the country's resilience,” said Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbad& eacute;, Director for West Africa at the African Development Bank.

On 30 October 2020, the active portfolio of the African Development Bank in Côte d'Ivoire included 38 operations for commitments totaling 2.5 billion dollars