The visit, which took place on 13 November 2023, was part of the cooperation between Togo and the World Bank Group to discuss the main challenges facing the structural transformation of Togo's agriculture.
It comes six months after the visit of the President of the World Bank, during which the FSRP TOGO financed the purchase of 34,000 tonnes of NKP 15 15 15 fertiliser for agricultural producers.
"I've come here because I want to listen to you and find out what we can do differently to improve your yields and your living and working conditions", said the World Bank's Director of Operations, Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, during her discussions with the farmers.
Théophile Komi DZAKPA, secretary general of the ZAAP management committee, said: "We were particularly impressed firstly by the visit, and secondly by the openness and attention shown to us by the delegation. This encourages us to make a greater effort in our farming activities", he confided, before going on to say "The Anyron ZAAP, where we are, was created in 2021 and covers 60 hectares for 88 producers, 62 of whom are women. At the beginning, everyone was doing their own thing. But with the support of our authorities, we are now organised. In three years, harvests have risen from 600 kilos to 3 tonnes per hectare to date. We have sold 10.45 tonnes to Togo's national food security agency (ANSAT) and currently have 102 tonnes in stock for our needs. On average, we have a yield of 3,150 kg per hectare," he said.
Other topics covered included improving agricultural work, access to water in all seasons, storage and the development of tracks to facilitate the movement of produce.
As a reminder, for the period from 2024 to 2030, Togo, with the support of the World Bank, is in the process of drawing up a new project called the "Agricultural Sector Modernisation Project", worth US$100 million. It will focus on solutions to sustainably contain the effects of the various food crises, particularly those caused by climate change.
More than just a visit, it was a time for in-depth discussions, listening to producers and hearing their stories.
