Mali gets US$46.4m World Bank credit

"The project supports the development of a vibrant and diversified commercial agriculture as a means to move away from subsistence agriculture, which is often synonymous to poverty for a majority of rural households," said Patrick Labaste, the World Bank task team leader for the project.
"As a result, the project will help reduce the excessive dependence of the Malian rural economy on cotton and rice cultivation. It will improve productivity in high value crops, reduce risks for small farmers through adapted irrigation technology, and diversify rural incomes with improved marketing channels for high value agricultural and livestock products," Labaste added.
The first component, demonstration and dissemination of irrigation, post-harvest and value adding technologies (US$10.35 million), will support the demonstration and dissemination by private sector providers of low-cost, simple and adapted techniques and technologies to improve the production, productivity, processing and marketing of selected high value agricultural products.
The second component, improvement of performances of agricultural supply chains (US$7.07 million), is aimed at improving the organisation and performance of agricultural supply chains, reinforcing private sector capacities to respond to market opportunities and improving the competitiveness of agricultural products, both traditional and new high value products.
The third component, access to financing (US$2.93 million), will facilitate access to capital and financial services for the various private actors and operators involved in the agricultural supply chains and strengthen the current agriculture credit market in Mali.
The fourth component, market-oriented infrastructure (US$21.49 million), will finance an investment program aimed at improving basic commercial and communication infrastructure, in order to improve linkages to markets and reduce transaction costs.
The last component of the project, management, monitoring and evaluation (US$5.6 million), will provide resources to ensure adequate project management, particularly overall co-ordination, financial management and procurement of goods and services, as well as monitoring of implementation and evaluation of results.

"The project supports the development of a vibrant and diversified commercial agriculture as a means to move away from subsistence agriculture, which is often synonymous to poverty for a majority of rural households," said Patrick Labaste, the World Bank task team leader for the project.
"As a result, the project will help reduce the excessive dependence of the Malian rural economy on cotton and rice cultivation. It will improve productivity in high value crops, reduce risks for small farmers through adapted irrigation technology, and diversify rural incomes with improved marketing channels for high value agricultural and livestock products," Labaste added.
The first component, demonstration and dissemination of irrigation, post-harvest and value adding technologies (US$10.35 million), will support the demonstration and dissemination by private sector providers of low-cost, simple and adapted techniques and technologies to improve the production, productivity, processing and marketing of selected high value agricultural products.
The second component, improvement of performances of agricultural supply chains (US$7.07 million), is aimed at improving the organisation and performance of agricultural supply chains, reinforcing private sector capacities to respond to market opportunities and improving the competitiveness of agricultural products, both traditional and new high value products.
The third component, access to financing (US$2.93 million), will facilitate access to capital and financial services for the various private actors and operators involved in the agricultural supply chains and strengthen the current agriculture credit market in Mali.
The fourth component, market-oriented infrastructure (US$21.49 million), will finance an investment program aimed at improving basic commercial and communication infrastructure, in order to improve linkages to markets and reduce transaction costs.
The last component of the project, management, monitoring and evaluation (US$5.6 million), will provide resources to ensure adequate project management, particularly overall co-ordination, financial management and procurement of goods and services, as well as monitoring of implementation and evaluation of results.


The above is an article from Business in Africa Online....Mali gets US$46.4m World Bank credit

It highlight a good plan for addressing poverty. It is not just money. It includes careful planning and good strategy...

My Thoughts.