As part of a drive to strengthen the resilience of rural communities in the face of growing food challenges, the town of Abeché was the scene of a major agricultural input distribution operation on Sunday. The initiative is part of the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa and the Sahel (PRSA-TD), implemented in partnership with the Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER).
A total of 2,380 producers have benefited from this strategic support. Among them, 950 women and 714 young people were specifically targeted, with the aim of encouraging the inclusion and empowerment of groups that are often marginalised in the agricultural sector. In addition, 129 leaders of producers' organisations and seven local cooperatives have also received support, reinforcing the structuring of the agricultural fabric in Ouaddaï province.
Beneficiaries received a range of essential agricultural inputs, including 50kg bags of urea, MPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilisers and pesticides, all designed to improve the productivity of local food and vegetable crops. These products, which are vital for future agricultural campaigns, are accompanied by complete farming kits. Each kit includes a set of farming tools: shovels, picks, hoes, wheelbarrows, watering cans, rakes, tarpaulins and ropes - basic but essential equipment for manual farm work.
This distribution initiative is part of the ongoing efforts of PRSA-TD, a regional programme aimed at strengthening food security and promoting family farming. At a time when climate change, conflict and market volatility are threatening traditional farming systems, the programme aims to provide producers with the means to increase their yields and secure their income.
For many beneficiaries, this intervention is seen as a real boost. "These inputs will enable us to prepare better for the agricultural season. We had land, but we didn't always have the means to use it properly", says Halima Mahamat, a vegetable grower from Abeché.
Through this type of action, the authorities and their partners aim to give a lasting boost to local production and eventually achieve food self-sufficiency in the areas concerned. The PRSA-TD plans to extend this type of support to other localities in the coming months, thereby consolidating a network of small-scale producers who are more resilient, better equipped and able to cope with economic and climatic hazards.
