UN agricultural funding agency to help thousands of poor Tanzanians
More than 200,000 very poor livestock farmers will benefit from a $20 million loan from the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost animal production and improve community infrastructure and veterinary services.
More than 200,000 very poor livestock farmers will benefit from a $20 million loan from the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost animal production and improve community infrastructure and veterinary services.
According to a loan agreement signed today at IFAD’s headquarters in Rome by the Fund’s Vice-President, Cyril Enweze, and Tanzania’s Ambassador, Simon U. R. Mlay, the country’s Agricultural Sector Development Programme will target the poorest pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, numbering 213,000 people.
The poorest of the farmers generally do not own cattle or sometimes even chickens, IFAD said. The new investment will provide pilot schools for livestock farmers, initially for poultry and later for goats, sheep, rabbits and pigs.
With this loan, IFAD said, it will have invested a total of $172.9 million in 12 programmes and projects in Tanzania.