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IFAD to fight poverty, hunger in Myanmar with $13m investment

18 dicembre 2018 | 17.17
LETTURA: 2 minuti

Photo: WFP
Photo: WFP

The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development will help reduce poverty and food insecurity for over 390,000 rural people in Myanmar by investing 13 million dollars in a project focussed on modernising the country's agriculture sector, IFAD said on Tuesday.

The Western States Agribusiness Project will cost a total 20.3 million dollars and it aims to benefit about 76,800 rural households, of which 10,200 are in Myanmar's southern Chin Chin and 66,600 are in its northern Magway state, IFAD said.

The project will also create about 4,500 jobs both on and off farm and provide training so farmers can improve their skills and knowledge of modern agricultural production techniques, IFAD said.

“The potential for smallholder agriculture in Chin and Magway is immense. We need to unlock this potential by providing training, financial services and access to markets to facilitate the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture," said Alessandro Marini, IFAD Country Programme Manager for Myanmar.

"Rural transformation in these areas is possible with the right support,” Marini said.

While Myanmar produces enough rice to meet its consumption needs as a whole, the rural poor often do not know where their next meal is coming from and lack access to adequate food to meet their daily calorie and nutritional requirements or enough income to buy essential items, IFAD noted.

The project aims to increase household incomes, food security and nutrition quality by helping rural communities to develop agricultural commodities and agribusinesses that can generate a profit and respond to market demand.

The project will also invest in infrastructure, including better irrigation systems to ensure a reliable supply of water to farms and household gardens and rural roads to facilitate farm to market mobility.

The agreement was signed by IFAD president Gilbert F. Houngbo, Myint Naung, Myanmar Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Rome. Under the accord, IFAD is providing a 9 million dollar loan and a 4 million dollar grant.

IFAD has financed three projects in Myanmar since 2014, investing a total 113.2 million dollars, of which IFAD has provided 90.7 million dollars. These projects have directly benefited 176,810 rural households, the UN agency said.

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