The consignment was delivered on Oct 13 to Guinea’s western town of Forécariah for distribution to local farmers, marking a pivotal step in the implementation of the Emergency Food Production Project
Overall, the scheme aims to provide local farmers with 80 tonnes of fertiliser, 85 tonnes of certified rice seeds and 20 tonnes of certified maise seeds.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the African Development Bank Group for supporting Guinea’s development efforts, particularly the agricultural sector,” said Mamoudou Nagnalen Barry, Guinean Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Farming.
The minister also encouraged local farmers to make the most of the inputs to significantly increase their agricultural productivity, strengthening Guinea’s food security.
Léandre Bassolé, the Bank's Country Manager for Guinea, echoed Barry’s call for local farmers to leverage the provided agricultural inputs to boost their production.
He commended the Guinean authorities for their commitment to prioritising agriculture, a key sector for enhancing food security, creating jobs, and fostering entrepreneurship, particularly among the nation's youth.
According to the International Trade Administration, Guinea was historically the major agricultural producer among the colonies of French West Africa and has massive agricultural potential.
Today, agricultural production is primarily at the smallholder level and these local farmers face a litany of challenges.
For instance, Guinean producers face significant challenges in obtaining short-term loans or securing guaranteed markets, making it challenging for them to invest in farm infrastructure upgrades.
Adding to these difficulties is the inadequate infrastructure, which restricts their access to cold storage facilities and well-maintained roads.
Consequently, delivering produce to local markets in a timely manner, let alone exporting it, becomes a formidable task as the risk of spoilage increases.
Important initiative
The Emergency Food Production Project was approved in November last year as part of the broader $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility launched by AfDB.
This facility, launched in May 2022, was initiated to address potential food crises in Africa triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
The programme aims to provide certified seeds and fertilisers to 20 million farmers, enabling them to produce an additional 38 million tonnes of food for the African continent over a span of two years.
On a national scale, Guinea's agricultural objectives include supplying 2,000 tonnes of rice seeds, 750 tonnes of maize seeds, and 500 tonnes of potatoes. Additionally, it aims to provide farmers with 11,700 tonnes of fertiliser at a discounted price.
These measures are crucial steps toward not only enhancing Guinea's food production capacity but also bolstering the livelihoods of local farmers and ensuring food security for the nation.
