Previous Story
Ethiopia and International Fund for Agriculture Development Launch $305 Million Project to Build Farmers’ Resilience
Posted On 15 Oct 2020
By Richard Adorsu-
Photo Credit: Medium
NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Accra, Ghana– The Government of Ethiopia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations (IFAD) have launched a new US$305.7 million programme to help the most vulnerable farmers increase their resilience.
The third phase of the Rural Financial Intermediation Programme (RUFIP III) is beginning at a crucial time. Implemented by the Development Bank of Ethiopia, it will help farmers to access financial services, raise and diversify their incomes, improve nutrition and build their resilience in rural areas threatened by climate change.
The virtual launch involved project participants, government officials, UN and IFAD staff, including Solomon Desta, Vice Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Yohannes Ayalew, President of the Development Bank of Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Ethiopia and said Ulaç Demirag, IFAD Country Director for Ethiopia.
The funding includes a $35.1 million grant and $4.9 million loan from IFAD, with significant co financing from international development partners and from national financial institutions. The Government of Ethiopia’s contribution is $51.9 million and $0.9million from the beneficiaries themselves.
Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which employs 80 per cent of the population, continues to suffer from frequent droughts aggravated by climate change. In 2017, insufficient rainfall during the rainy season led to catastrophic crop and livestock losses and left an estimated 8.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
“RUFIP I and II made major contributions, not just in including 5 million customers in microfinance institutions, but also in improving regulatory capacities in microfinance, banking and lease finance supervision,” said Solomon Desta, Vice Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia. RUFIP III will build on the lessons and experiences of the first two phases of the programme, and will scale up delivery of rural financial services tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable smallholder farmers, particularly women and young people.
“IFAD is a key United Nations agency in Ethiopia, having made more than US$750 million of investments so far and reaching 7 million vulnerable households. RUFIP III is also part of the UN response to COVID-19, helping to support smallholder farmers in accessing rural financial services,” said Catherine Sozi, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Ethiopia. “I look forward to the implementation of RUFIP III and its results and impacts.”
Through the project, rural finance institutions will be able to deliver an expanded range of financial products and services to a large number of rural poor people. It will also support the uptake of these products by rural savings and credit cooperatives and microfinance institutions through financial literacy training. It will also develop insurance products through the rural finance institutions to allow smallholder farmers to mitigate the risks related to climate change.
“RUFIP III is really about people — it is not to simply make credit available to the rural population, to strengthen the microfinance sector in Ethiopia and to promote agro industrialization, but to bring 13.5 million vulnerable rural households on a sustainable path to prosperity,” said Ulaç Demirag, IFAD Country Director for Ethiopia.
Since 1980, IFAD has invested $795.5 million in 20 rural development programmes and projects in Ethiopia worth a total of $2.1 billion. These have directly benefited around 12 million rural households.
For New Africa Business News Richard Adorsu Reports, Africa Correspondent
Facebook: newafricabusinessnews.com
Email: Info@newafricabusinessnews.com
AFRICA’S MOST READ AND FASTEST GROWING GLOBAL NEWSPAPER – www.newafricabusinessnews.com
Love the newsletters and thank you for signing me to the newsletter. Olabisi in Lagos NIGERIA
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com
Thank you for the report. Is a great idea to invest lot of money to the Farmers in Ethiopia. It would be a great investment. Gaborone Botswana. Gorata
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com
Is about time for the United Nations to spend the money wisely that it Africa’s members Contribute to the African People. El Jadida Morocco. Karim
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com
Thank you for the newsletters. Reading lot about Africa. Henry in London, England
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com
If Ethiopia’s agriculture sector employs about 80 per cent of it’s population then is wise for Ethiopia to spend heavily on agriculture. Maseru, Lesotho. Leseli
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com
Ethiopia and all Countries in our great Continent should invest lot more money on Agriculture. Help greatly small and medium size farmers. Johannesburg South Africa. Kimberly
Thanks for reading, Africa’s fastest growing online newspaper. Please forward http://www.newafricabusinessnews.com