The government of Burkina Faso has launched a project to increase food security amid global challenges, a release said.
The Emergency Project for Increasing Agricultural Production in Burkina Faso (PURPA-BF) , which is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) aims to bolster food security in the country against the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The implementation of the project is expected to boost national rice production by 430,000 metric tonnes (MT) and maize production by 707,000MT, as other crops also see production increases.
The release indicated that AfDB would support the project with 38.4 million Euros under its African Emergency Food Production Facility. This amount, the release added, represents nearly the entire cost of the project.
The project will supply nearly 9,000 tons of certified climate adapted seeds to 330,000 farmers to help increase production of maize, rice, soya, cowpea, sorghum, and wheat.
“Since Burkina Faso joined the African Development Bank Group, the Bank has stepped up its efforts to provide effective support for the government’s development initiatives,” Major Ismaël Sombié, Burkinabe Minister for Agriculture said.
Sombié added, “This unwavering commitment by the Bank symbolises the exemplary nature of the strong collaboration between it and our country in several sectors. In the areas of agriculture, animal resources and fisheries, for which I am responsible, the Bank’s commitment has consistently resulted in the implementation of development projects and programmes.”
“The African Development Bank welcomes the relevance of this ambitious programme and asserts its willingness to support its implementation,” said AfDB Country Manager Daniel Ndoye.
The project targets farmers primarily located around the country’s major irrigated plains around Bagrépôle, Bama, Banzon and Karfiguéla, and More than half of these are women, internally displaced individuals, and youth, who will also receive 36,000 tons of fertiliser for their farms.