Food Security: African Development Bank Donates $5.4 Million to Central African Republic for Food Security Project – African Business

The Board of Directors of African Development Bank Groupwww.AfDB.org) today approved a grant of $5.39 million to the Central African Republic. The grant will help to produce an additional 32,000 tonnes of food and improve food security for 100,000 people. It will also enable the Central African Republic implement an emergency food programme to address the rise in food costs caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The grant will be used to increase agricultural productivity in the Central African Republic, including rice, maize, cassava, and maize production. The project will have a positive effect on food security for nearly 100,000 people. It is expected to produce 32,350 tonnes of food in the first season between September 2022 and February 2023. It will contribute to  resilience of households and will increase incomes ($840, on average, per farmer and per household and the quality of life of small farmers in the target group.

The grant will cover the purchase of 1.8 tonnes of maize and 1.2 tonnes rice seed, as well as 75,0000 linear meters of cassava, for farmers. This grant will cover pre-basic (seed produced in agricultural research centres) as well as basic (seed produced using approved seed bodies with the assistance from research technicians of the State technical services).

The project will also procure 130 tonnes of maize seeds from local seed producers, enough to sow 4500 ha; 30 tonnes paddy rice seed for 700 ha; and 5 million linear meters of cassava for planting in 1800 ha.

The programme will also procure fertiliser via a tender process. It will contain 500 tonnes NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) and 250 tonnes urea to cover 5200 hectares (4500 ha of maize and 700 ha of rice).

A part of the grant will go towards training workers at three national agricultural institutions to help them master growing techniques. For this purpose, a vehicle and office equipment will be provided.

“The war in Ukraine has exacerbated the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and of the political and security situation in the Central African Republic. The grant approved today by the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group responds to the urgent needs of many vulnerable rural households,” said Mamady Souaré, the Bank Group’s country manager in the Central African Republic. “The grant will provide farmers with seed and fertilizers to boost food production and, thus, improve food security in the Central African Republic”, he continued.

The Board of Directors of African Development Bank Group established a $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility (African Emergency Food Production Facility) on 20 May 2022.https://bit.ly/3Pa8rpL). The facility will provide agricultural seeds to 20 million African farmers to boost wheat, maize, rice and soya and the goal is to produce an additional 38 million tonnes of food and to generate $12 billion over the next two years.

The Transition Support Fund (Pillar I) provides the grant for the CAR.https://bit.ly/3o3RFwzThe African Development Bank Group (() offers a fast, simple, and flexible disbursement method that aims to help countries build peace, strengthen their institutions, stabilize their economies, and lay the foundations of inclusive growth.

The project will be implemented in five regions of the country: Region No.1 (Ombella Mpoko and Lobaye), Region No.2 (Nana Mambéré and Mambéré Kadéi), Region No.3 (Ouham and Ouham Pendé), Region No.4 (Ouaka, Kémo and Nana Gribizi), Region No.7 (Bangui and its surrounding area).

Distributed by APO Group for African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contact:
Alexis Adélé,
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: [email protected]

About the African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It is composed of three distinct entities, the African Development Bank(AfDB), African Development Fund(ADF) and Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). The Bank has an office in Japan and is present in 41 African nations. This office contributes to economic development as well as the social progress of 54 of its member countries. For more information: www.AfDB.org