ESAFD
New IFDC Projects in East and Southern Africa IFDC activities will soon begin in the new nation of South Sudan through the Seeds for Development (S4D) project developed by the South Sudan Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and funded by USAID and the Howard G. Buffet Foundation through the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). IFDC is also providing support across the region through new projects in Ethiopia and Tanzania.
Seeds for Development (S4D) in South Sudan, 2011-2013 While about 85 percent of the South Sudanese population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, most grow only enough food to survive. Very few use agro-inputs (fertilizers, seeds and crop protection products) or have experience treating agriculture as a commercial enterprise. In May 2011, USAID, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, IFDC and AGRA signed a communiqué to formalize their joint commitment to promote food security and the development of the agricultural private sector in South Sudan. Following the signing of the communiqué and in light of a looming food crisis, IFDC and AGRA are supporting the S4D project, which will help transform agriculture in South Sudan from traditional subsistence farming to a scientific, market-oriented, competitive and commercial agricultural system. IFDC will help farmers learn about the benefits of using high quality seed and mineral fertilizers and how to increase their productivity and incomes. A major component of the project will be a voucher program to increase farmers’ access to muchneeded agro-inputs and to build business for rural agro-dealers. S4D will commercialize the agricultural value chain, harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of agro-input dealers, seed companies, farmers, food processors and bankers. For example, IFDC and the Agricultural Market Development Trust (AGMARK) recently provided assistance to six agro-input supply companies to participate in the country’s first agricultural trade fair, which was organized by USAID. IFDC and AGMARK established and managed a model agro-dealer shop at the fair to demonstrate the types of farm products and services that agro-dealers offer.
Agricultural Growth Program – Agricultural Marketing Development (AGP-AMDE) Project in Ethiopia, 2011-2015 The agro-input sector in Ethiopia faces a number of constraints including low rates of private sector participation in fertilizer importation. The goal of the AGP-AMDE project is the long-term reduction of poverty and hunger through improvements in the productivity and competitiveness of value chains that offer 6
H.E. Anne Itto, South Sudan’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; Dr. Amit Roy, IFDC president and CEO; Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator; and others visit a crop demonstration field in South Sudan.
income opportunities for rural households. The project is implemented by ACDI/VOCA and funded by USAID under the FTF initiative. As a member of the ACDI/VOCA Support for Food Security Activities (SFSA) team, IFDC will help build agro-input supply and distribution systems and facilitate farmers’ access to and use of inputs. IFDC will also support the development of private sector agribusinesses to produce and market seeds. Additional activities include training programs on agro-input market development, natural resource management and value chain clusters; international learning tours for agro-input suppliers; field days and demonstrations to facilitate technology and information transfer; and annual agro-input policy workshops.
Staples Value Chain (NAFAKA) in Tanzania, 2011-2015 While the agricultural sector in Tanzania is expanding, more than 40 percent of the population lives in areas where erratic rainfall causes recurring food shortages. To increase food security in the country, the NAFAKA project will improve the competitiveness and productivity of the maize and rice value chains while expanding the benefits from this growth to women, youth and other vulnerable groups. The project is implemented by ACDI/VOCA and its SFSA team and funded by USAID under the FTF initiative. IFDC will work with agro-input suppliers, producers and financial institutions to strengthen the availability of quality agro-inputs and to demonstrate their proper use at the farm level. Other IFDC activities include strengthening the maize and rice seed supply; promoting technologies for increased production; conducting ‘training of trainers’ programs on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM); introducing and expanding market information systems; and assisting the Tanzanian government and other stakeholders to create an enabling policy environment for agro-input use.