On Nema Project’s Largesse to 14 Youth Groups

Musa Bah from Wassu, Central River Region North (GYINer)

By Mariam Saine

As part of its intervention to support youth and women in agricultural production and productivity, the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project, dubbed Nema, on Friday, 21 June, 2019 handed over sixteen (16) rice and cereal processing machines and accessories to fourteen (14) youth groups across the country.The presentation of the items was held at a colorful ceremony at the Nema office in Abuko.

The provision of the said equipment, made possible through the Nema Matching Grant facility, is geared towards ensuring that the intended services are provided to the smallholder farmers.

New policies and investments urgently needed in support of rural youth in poorest countries, says a new UN report

Rome, 18 June 2019 –  Effective policies and investments are urgently needed if the world's poorest countries are to offer a future to hundreds of millions of marginalized young people living in rural areas, according to a new report released today by the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The 2019 Rural Development Report - Creating opportunities for rural youth shows that about 500 million young people, about half of the youth population of developing countries, live in rural areas.  This number rises to 780 million  when  semi-rural and peri-urban areas are included. These young people are prone to poverty and inequality and are held back by a series of constraints, including lack of training and skills, limited access to land and credit,  scarce availability of inputs and restricted links to social networks. 

Six cooperatives supported by Nema-Chosso generate D11M

Nema-Chosso Project Director, Mr. Gassama

By Mamadou Edrisa Njie

In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, 18^th June, 2019, with the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema), Mr. Momodou L. Gassama, the Project Director, gave the latest updates on some of the project’s success with special focus on support to cooperatives and linkages between producers, economic operators and other actors of the value chain. These initiatives have been ongoing since the start of project implementation in 2012.

“Over the last 2 years, the cooperatives have generated cumulative savings of more than eleven million dalasis (D11,000,000,000) from the purchase and sale of fertilizer alone,” he disclosed.

According to him, the six cooperatives were created in the cluster areas of: Boiram and Kudang in Central River Region South (CRR South), Bajarally Suba in Central River Region North (CRR North), Jurunku and Salikene in North Bank Region (NBR) and Pakalinding in Lower River Region (LRR).

Young Female ELIT Alumni Establishes Poultry Farm

Sainabou Ngack 

An active member of the Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia Chapter, Ms. Sainabou Ngack has made a household name for herself by being the first female to establish the first-ever Poultry Farm in her native village of Pakau Njogu, North Bank Region.

Being among the “five best selected participants” in GYIN Gambia’s Entrepreneurship Leadership Information & Technology (ELIT) 2018 National Youth Summer Camp with cash prize of D10, 000.00, she ventured into poultry to help her community to have access to poultry meat and at the same time capitalize on the unique opportunity of being the sole poultry producer in the village.

Young Agripreneur Calls for Support to Expand Production

By Ida L.B Ceesay

Meet Alagie Karamo Jammeh of Busumbala Village, West Coast Region and the owner of a vegetable garden called Steel Innovation Farmyard.

The 24year old produces’ onions, carrots, cucumbers, lettuces, peppers etc for sale.

Jammeh, whose main objective is providing healthy organic fruits and vegetables to the populace, started his business over six years ago.

Presently, he has some readily harvested onions for the market which he sells locally at a reasonable price.

How improved nutrition can save the world - with Italian celebrity chef Cristina Bowerman and RAI TV presenter Luca Rosini

What:       Why women are key to better nutrition and global poverty eradication – an event organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at the Perugia International Journalism Festival.

When:      15:00-16:00, Saturday, 6 April 2019

Where:     Centro  Servizi G. Alessi, Perugia

Who:         Cristina Bowerman, award-winning Italian celebrity chef, Luca Rosini, journalist and presenter of Uno Mattina in Famiglia on RAI Uno, Linda Dorigo, photographer, journalist and film producer, and IFAD's nutrition and development expert, Antonella Cordone.

Story:          Improved nutrition targeted at young women can reduce poverty. But it's not enough to look at improving what they eat. We must also focus on guaranteeing respect for their rights and those of future generations.

  

Independent evaluation shows that IFAD support to Burkina Faso has increased agricultural productivity and incomes of households

Ouagadougou, 23 November 2018 –Development projects financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have contributed to increased agricultural productivity and food security levels in Burkina Faso, according to results from an independent evaluation presented today.

The evaluation, conducted by the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) of IFAD,  assessed the results and performance of the IFAD-financed programme in the country, while providing recommendations for IFAD’s ongoing partnership with Burkina Faso as they work together to reduce rural poverty. The country strategy focused on the nutrition of the rural population, the resilience of rural households to food security, and the economic challenges they face.

The IOE evaluation, the first of its kind in Burkina Faso, covered the period from 2007 to 2017, and included six completed projects, of which one is on-going. The evaluation spanned 11 of the country’s 13 regions.

With only $15M, GYIN Gambia vows to create 70,000 jobs

Mamadou Edrisa Njie, ED GYIN Gambia 

The GYIN Gambia Executive Director, Mamadou Edrisa Njie has called on development partners and donor agencies to invest a funding package of $15 million in a bid to enable his organization to realize its innovative ideas in creating 70,000 direct and indirect jobs for young people across the country.

To implement these ideas, Mr. Njie noted that his organization is requesting for only this amount and within three years, 70,000 jobs will be created.

Speaking at the Youth Trade and Agribusiness Forum on the theme “Youth Employment in Agriculture and Tourism as a solid solution to ending Food Insecurity and Unemployment in The Gambia” at the ongoing National Youth Agribusiness and Tourism Expo 2018, organized by the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce (GYCC) at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, he assured that GYIN Gambia is ever ready to refund the money in full to any donor or development partner, if the project fails.

IFAD supports G20 initiatives to promote land management and rural youth employment

Rome, 26 July 2018 – Ahead of his address to the Group of Twenty (G20) Ministers of Agriculture Meeting this week, Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), offered the institution's full support for efforts to increase the sustainable production of nutritious foods.

"Sustainably feeding a growing population will take collective action and IFAD stands ready to partner with the G20 to achieve this,” Houngbo said prior to his departure for Buenos Aires. “With small family farms supplying up to 80 per cent of the food produced in developing countries, it has never been more critical to invest in these farmers, providing the tools for them to better manage their land and ensure the health and productivity of their soil in the face of a changing climate.”

Nema resolves Kudang rice field road problems

The National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project’s construction of access road to rice fields in Kudang, Central River Region South has addressed their access problems, but the expectation is not yet met by the villagers due to an unknown source of flooding.

“Now things are easier. Cars and donkey carts are going and coming without any delay. No matter how long the rice filed is, there are access roads everywhere. We even have a roundabout in the rice fields,” said Mr. Lamin Ceesay, Chairman of the Village Development Committee of Kudang

He said this has benefited them a lot especially women who suffer the most. He said today, everything is easier for them and they can transport their harvest without any delay.

“This is another development that the village has benefited from Nema” Ceesay told Mansa Banko Blog in an interview in Kudang village.

Former Prime Minister of Togo to head United Nations rural poverty agency

IFAD President, Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo

Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, former Prime Minister of Togo, has been appointed as the sixth President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized United Nations agency and international financial institution that invests in eradicating rural poverty in developing countries around the world.   

“I have come from the rural world. I have first-hand knowledge of the harshness of this kind of life,”  said Houngbo, who was appointed by IFAD’s member states at the organization’s annual Governing Council meeting.

Houngbo takes up the helm at a time when changing government priorities and the more immediate needs of humanitarian crises – like natural disasters, conflict and refugees – threaten to divert funding away from long-term development.

With growing global demand for food, increased migration to cities and the impact of climate change, investments in agriculture and rural development will be essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending poverty and hunger. 

New network aims to help bridge multi-billion-dollar financing gap in rural areas

Rome, 27 January 2017 – The establishment of a new network to help bridge the estimated US$150 billion financing gap that prevents small rural producers and businesses in developing countries from growing their operations and strengthening rural economies, was announced today.

The announcement, made by Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Enrico Morando, Italy’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, came at the end of a three-day international conference in Rome focused on finding new ways to finance rural development.

IFAD to host high-level conference on innovative approaches to financing for rural development

19 January 2017 – IFAD is joining forces with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the Brookings Institution and the University of Warwick to host an international conference in Rome aimed at advancing global efforts to end extreme poverty and hunger by 2030 through greater investments in rural development and innovative financing for smallholder agriculture that benefits the rural poor.

On 25 to 27 January, the first-ever Investing in Inclusive Rural Transformation: Innovative Approaches to Financing conference will bring together a diverse cross section of government, public and private-sector stakeholders for three days of lively and thoughtful discussions on facilitating investments in rural development and improving access to finance for investment by smallholder farmers and rural small and medium enterprises. See agenda here

"In all regions of the world, poverty and food insecurity are highest in rural areas, where three quarters of the extremely poor reside,” says Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD. “This conference comes at a critical time. Eradicating poverty and hunger will not happen by 2030 unless we step up development financing in rural areas and work together to collectively transform rural economies and societies."

Mauritania to benefit from US$21 million IFAD grant to boost food security, nutrition and reduce rural poverty

Michel Mordasini, Vice-President of IFAD

Rome, 12 January 2017 – A total of 285,600 farmers, particularly women and young people in six regions in southern Mauritania will benefit from a financial agreement signed today between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Mauritania to improve their incomes, nutrition and food security.

The agreement for the Inclusive Value Chain Development Project (PRODEFI) was signed in Rome by Michel Mordasini, Vice-President of IFAD and Mariem Aouffa, Ambassador of Mauritania to Italy and Permanent Representative to Rome-based United Nations agencies.

The total cost of the project is US$45.2 million of which IFAD is providing a US$21 million grant including $6 million grant from the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) Trust Fund. It is co-financed by the national private sector ($2 million), the Government of Mauritania ($5 million) and by the beneficiaries themselves ($2.2 million). The remaining $15 million will be covered by other financing sources or by the next IFAD financing cycle for Mauritania (2019-2021).

IFAD calls for policies to end poverty in West and Central Africa

IFAD calls for policies to empower rural youth, encourage private investment, increase access to land and finance to end poverty in West and Central Africa

Abidjan/Rome, 23 November 2016 --Youth unemployment, insecure land tenure and weak value chains are the main obstacles in the way of ending poverty and inequality in West and Central Africa, says a new report to be presented today in Abidjan by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Youth under the age of 35 account for 75 per cent of the population of the region which also has the highest number of rural youth than any other region in the world. Empowering youth is the first step towards achieving prosperity in the region, says the report.

IFAD signs US$25.5 million agreement to revitalize irrigation for drought-hit farmers in Zimbabwe

Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD.

Rome, 18 November 2016 – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Zimbabwe signed a US$25.5 million agreement today to revitalize 6,100 hectares in 152 existing smallholder irrigation schemes in the semi-arid zones in four provinces:  Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Midlands. Over 27,700 poor rural households will benefit from this programme.

The agreement was signed in Rome by Patrick Chinamasa, Minister for Finance and Economic Development of Zimbabwe and Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD.

The Smallholder Irrigation Revitalization Programme (SIRP) will cover some 46 per cent of the country’s estimated total irrigation-equipped area of about 13,000 hectares. The total cost of the project is US$51.3 million, including $15 million from the OPEC Fund for International Development, $7.9 million from the Government of Zimbabwe and $3.2 million from the beneficiaries themselves.

Agricultural growth is not reaching its poverty-reducing potential in East and Southern Africa, says new IFAD report

The agricultural sector in East and Southern Africa is transforming due to increased productivity as more land is being cultivated but agricultural growth has not always led to poverty reduction; many small farmers in the region continue to live in poverty while struggling to own land and access credit, warns a new report presented in Nairobi yesterday by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

According to the Rural Development Report 2016, the picture that emerges is of an expanding agricultural sector, but one with a weak foundation that is preventing a broad-based reduction in poverty and inequality. The report shows that clear government policies and investments in smallholder agriculture can make a difference.

Opening the meeting, Lakshmi Menon, Associate Vice-President, IFAD, said the Rural Development Report “has uncovered answers to key questions about the nature, pace and direction of changes in rural areas, how they relate to a country’s overall economic development, and what that means for our efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of rural people.”   

Member States to nominate candidates for next IFAD President

Rome, 27 September 2016 – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized United Nations agency and international financial institution, today announced a call to its 176 Member States to nominate candidates for the Fund’s next President.

The President is IFAD’s most senior position with responsibility for leading the organization and chairing its Executive Board. Nominations for President can only be made by IFAD Member States and must be received by the Secretary of IFAD no later than 1 December 2016.

Africa Food Prize awarded to Kanayo F. Nwanze for his dedication to African smallholders

Dr Kanayo Nwanze

The Africa Food Prize Committee, chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, selected a Nigerian national, Dr Kanayo Nwanze, as the first winner of the ‘Africa Food Prize’ award for his efforts to improve the lives of smallholder farmers. Dr. Nwanze takes home $100,000 worth prize.

The President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Nairobi.]

Nwanze is honored for initiating agricultural reforms, policies and programs which has improved the lives of millions and for his courageous leadership in encouraging solidarity with Africa’s smallholder farmers.

“I would like to dedicate this award to the millions of African women who silently toil to feed their families,” said Dr. Nwanze. “No nation has been able to transform itself without giving women the same rights and opportunities as men. Our hope for future generations rests with African women who bear and raise our young people who will shape the African continent in the years to come,” said Nwanze.

Governor Puye tells youth: Seek funding and you will be assisted

Governor Salifu Puy, Lower River Region at the closing ceremony

“Seek for funding at the regional and national levels and you will be assisted,” the  Governor of Lower River Region (LRR), Salieu Puye, told Gambian youth last week. 

 

While presiding over the closing of GYIN Gambia ELIT 2016 summer camp on July 31 at Jenoi village in LRR, Governor Puye said the youth should start-up businesses and be persistent in it.

“Let us stay there for a while, learn some theories, learn from our mistakes and then correct it for the future. Try to build partnership among yourselves like other countries are doing and you build yourselves into a vibrant private sector-led business in this country,” he further said.

The regional governor said at regional level, there are small grants from FASDEP, CILIP, and NEMA projects that the youth can benefit from.