Africa-Press – Senegal. The “Climate-smart agriculture and sustainable value chains in Senegal” project, at a cost of two billion 300 million CFA francs, was launched Thursday, in Saint-Louis, to improve the production of rice and vegetables, in the northern zone of the country, noted the APS.
Lasting three years, this project funded by the Republic of Korea is placed under the technical supervision of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI, English), explained the Deputy Governor of Saint-Louis in charge of development, Modou Mamoune Diop, during the launch ceremony.
Mr. Diop recalled that Senegal aims to achieve food self-sufficiency, an objective whose achievement requires agriculture, the development of which is linked to the increase in cultivable land. Hence the relevance of such a project which aims to support the producers of the valley by instilling in them new farming techniques including environmental management, he underlined.
“We need to protect the environment while increasing cultivable land,” said the deputy governor of Saint-Louis, also referring to the intelligent management of the effects of climate change on this sector of activity.
The Global Green Growth Institute came up with the idea of developing smart agriculture to build people’s resilience, he said, thanking the Korean government for this support.
The resident representative of the GGGI, Assan Magagi Alio, returned to the expected impacts of this project, which aims to improve rice and vegetable yields by 10% in the target area.
This project aims to create 1,200 jobs for women and young people and intends to support up to 1,000 farmers for access to quality agricultural inputs and extension services, she said.
According to her, the project will also promote climate-smart agriculture practices and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10% compared to the reference situation.
This project will ultimately improve the income of producers in the valley, whose economy has been strongly impacted by Covid-19, for his part underlined the director general of the Delta and Falémé Land Development Company. (SAED), Aboubakry Sow.
Hu Chang Yeon, the representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, expressed his country’s willingness to share its experience in developing environmentally friendly farming practices.
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