Tchad

On Friday, 31 October 2025, the meeting room of the Ministry of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation hosted the official departure ceremony for 129 Chadian students receiving scholarships from the Food System Resilience Programme in the Sahel and West Africa (FSRP-TD).

Chaired by the Minister of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation, the ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including the acting national coordinator of PRSA-TD, the programme's implementing partners, as well as the scholarship recipients and their families.

In his welcome address, the acting coordinator of FSRP-TD recalled that this first wave marks a decisive step in the implementation of the programme, which aims to strengthen human and institutional capacities for a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food system.

Taking the floor, the Minister of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation expressed his pride and satisfaction at seeing these young Chadians embark on an academic adventure that brings hope.

"Through this initiative, the Government, with the financial support of the World Bank and the technical support of the AGRHYMET Regional Centre, reaffirms its commitment to placing human capital development at the heart of the transformation of the agricultural sector," he said.

Of the 183 scholarship recipients selected, 129 will continue their professional training at the AGRHYMET Regional Centre in areas such as food and nutrition security, natural resource management, plant protection and climate change. The other 54 will join partner universities for research training in irrigation, food biotechnology, soil fertility or agricultural statistics.

The Minister, alongside the Acting Coordinator of FSRP-TD, presented a symbolic cheque for thirty million CFA francs to two students representing all the beneficiaries, as a sign of encouragement and recognition. On this occasion, the Minister urged the winners to show discipline, rigour and patriotism throughout their training.

"You are now ambassadors for Chad. Come back with solid skills to contribute to the resilience of the national food system," he said.

This ceremony, marked by emotion and optimism, reflects Chad's vision of ensuring sustainable food security by training a new generation of competent and committed agricultural managers.

Faced with a growing threat from locusts, Chad is stepping up its vigilance. Since the beginning of September, the National Locust Control Agency (ANLA) has launched a vast prospecting campaign covering an area of more than 320,000 km². The main objective of this preventive operation is to monitor areas at risk, identify potential breeding grounds and prevent any invasion of locusts from neighbouring countries, particularly those in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

This mobilisation comes at a time of growing regional concern. Climate change, seasonal variability and the migratory cycles of insect pests such as the desert locust are making agricultural systems vulnerable. To address these challenges, Chad is receiving support from the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa and the Sahel (FSRP-TD). This project, funded by the World Bank, brings together eight countries in the region and three regional organisations with a common goal: to strengthen food security and improve resilience to climatic and biological threats.

On the ground, the system put in place by ANLA is impressive. Several mobile teams, made up of specialists in prospecting, processing, logistics and data analysis, criss-cross areas identified as sensitive. Their mission is to detect the first signs of infestation in good time and intervene immediately. The resources deployed include surveillance drones, equipped vehicles and plant protection products to treat outbreaks in a targeted manner.

The data collected during this campaign plays a crucial role. Not only does it enable a rapid response to any detected threat, but it also enriches existing databases to better anticipate future risks. By improving its forecasting capabilities, Chad is equipping itself with a strategic tool to prevent famine, protect crops and safeguard the livelihoods of rural populations.

In short, this prospecting campaign marks a decisive step in the national strategy to combat locust invasions. It also illustrates the importance of regional cooperation in the face of cross-border threats that ignore national boundaries. Through this initiative, the FSRP-TD confirms its commitment to food security and the protection of its agricultural heritage.

From 10 to 16 September, the town of Bakara, some 20 kilometres from N'Djamena, hosted a strategic workshop dedicated to finalising the sub-project financing manual for the Project to Strengthen the Resilience of Agri-Food Systems in Chad (FSRP-TD).

The first session, from 10 to 14 September, was devoted to a critical review of the document by national stakeholders. The second session, held on 15 and 16 September, focused on the technical validation of the enriched version, in the presence of ministerial representatives.

The work, coordinated by the FSRP-TD team, focused on a participatory approach combining plenary sessions, thematic working groups and comparative analyses.

A first version of the manual had already been drafted on eligibility criteria, financial procedures and monitoring and evaluation procedures. However, to better adapt it to the realities on the ground, a thorough review was necessary.

The Bakara meeting provided an opportunity to review the various parts of the document with a view to producing a finalised and validated version of the manual, as well as a consolidated report of all the technical recommendations made during the discussions.

This meeting was certainly technical in nature, but it provided an opportunity for the Chadian authorities to strengthen financial governance in an inclusive and transparent manner. It also marked a key step in the implementation of the PRSA-TD, which aims to increase resilience to climatic, economic and social challenges to   achieve food sovereignty.

An important milestone has been reached in the West Africa and Sahel Food System Resilience Programme in Chad (FSRP-TD), with the official validation of its communication and knowledge management strategy. This strategic milestone was achieved following a national workshop held from 12 to 18 August in Bakara, attended by the programme's Technical Director.

The workshop aimed to raise the profile of FSRP-TD and encourage local stakeholders to get involved in the fight against food insecurity. Over five days, some 30 participants from the programme, partner institutions and the communications sector worked together to review and enrich the draft strategy, developed by consultant Azadine Mahamat, with the facilitation of the Regional Communications Manager.

The work began with a review of the objectives and foundations of FSRP-TD, a programme funded by the World Bank and implemented in 11 provinces of Chad. This return to basics helped to anchor the discussions in the realities on the ground and refocus efforts on the final beneficiaries: farmers, herders, rural women, young people, community structures and institutional partners.

An analysis of the national media landscape highlighted the essential role of community radio stations, social networks and audiovisual tools in effectively reaching rural populations. A SWOT analysis also emphasised the importance of more targeted communication, adapted to local realities.

Gradually, the participants refined the content of the strategy. Several key recommendations were adopted, including reducing the number of strategic areas from five to three, reformulating the objectives according to the SMART approach, prioritising communication targets, and clarifying key messages in accordance with World Bank guidelines. These adjustments were adopted unanimously.

In parallel with the validation work, a capacity-building session was organised for the communicators involved in the programme. Led by Dr Koné, FSRP Regional Communication Expert at the ECOWAS level, this training enabled participants to acquire practical skills in writing success stories, producing digital content and managing communication in crisis situations.

The workshop concluded with a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the strategy. These include strengthening partnerships with community media, developing a crisis communication plan, and establishing a specific monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The strategy will also be widely disseminated to ensure that all stakeholders take ownership of it.

In closing the proceedings, the Technical Director of FSRP-TD praised the quality of the discussions and reaffirmed the programme's commitment to making this strategy a central lever of its action. This validation marks a key step in PRSA-TD's efforts to build lasting resilience to the multiple shocks that are undermining the Chadian food system.

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.

Against a backdrop of recurring food crises and the growing effects of climate change, Chad's Programme for the Resilience of Food Systems in West Africa and the Sahel (PRSA-TD) launched a major operation to distribute agricultural kits in three of the country's provinces from 17 to 25 April 2025. This initiative, run in collaboration with the Chadian government and various technical partners, aims to build the capacity of market garden producers in rural areas, some of the most vulnerable in the country.
The provinces targeted by this first phase of the campaign are Chari-Baguirmi, Hadjer-Lamis and Lac, three regions where food insecurity remains a major challenge. The beneficiaries, mainly local producers' organisations, received ploughing kits, NPK and urea fertilisers and pesticides to boost agricultural production. The aim is clear: to support the revival of market gardening and improve the food and nutritional security of the local population in the long term.
The operation was carried out in close coordination with the technical departments of the Ministry of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation, in particular the Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER) and the Direction de la Production Végétale et des Cultures (DPVC). The administrative and local authorities also played a key role, facilitating logistics and community mobilisation on the ground.
For the Provincial Coordinator of PRSA-TD, this first distribution marks the start of a wider process. "This is an initial stage in a progressive strategy. Other localities in the programme's intervention zone will benefit from this support very soon", he assured us. The aim of the programme is to eventually cover all the priority rural areas to equip producers with the tools they need to cope with the climatic and economic shocks affecting the agricultural sector.
On the ground, the reactions of beneficiaries were not long in coming. Several producers have expressed their gratitude and hailed the support as "life-saving". For many, this aid gives new hope to rural families faced with increasing poverty. "This support will relieve the efforts of the members of our farmers' organisations and restore hope to the countryside", said Mbodou Mahamat, a farmer from the Lac region.
With this operation, the PRSA-TD is confirming its commitment to long-term action in support of resilient and inclusive agricultural development. It is to be hoped that the momentum generated will be intensified and sustained throughout the country.

On 17 March 2025, Chad's Ministry of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation was the scene of an event of great importance for the region's agricultural and food future. The meeting room was the venue for the signing ceremony of agreements under the Programme to Strengthen the Resilience of the Food System in West Africa and the Sahel (FSRP-TD). This ambitious programme aims to strengthen food security and improve the resilience of agricultural systems in an area that is particularly vulnerable to climatic and economic challenges.

At this event, the key players in agricultural development came together to lay the foundations for the strategic cooperation that is vital to the success of this long-term programme. The event began with a speech by the National Coordinator of the PRSA-TD, who welcomed the participants and emphasised the vital importance of this collaboration in achieving the objectives set.  This ceremony marks a decisive turning point for the FSRP-TD, in terms of food security and the sustainability of agricultural systems," she said, stressing the urgency of implementing the programme.

The importance of the event was officially underlined by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Production and Industrialisation, who launched the ceremony with an inspiring speech. She highlighted Chad's priorities in terms of agricultural production and resilience in the face of food crises, saying that this partnership would be crucial to the success of the PRSA-TD in the country.

The agreements were then signed by a range of partner institutions, each playing a key role in implementing the programme. Among the signatories were the Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, the Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural, the Agence Nationale de Lutte Contre les Antiacridiennes and the Système d'Information sur la Qualité Alimentaire et d'Alerte Précoce. These entities will form the pillars of this initiative, contributing to targeted actions to improve agricultural practices, anticipate food crises and strengthen the resilience of rural populations in the face of climatic hazards.

Once the agreements had been signed, the National Coordinator presented a detailed analysis of the programme. In a clear and instructive speech, she explained to the partners present the specific objectives of the FSRP-TD, the methodologies that will be used and the steps to be followed to ensure effective implementation. The presentation gave participants a better understanding of the programme's challenges and the expectations of each partner institution.

The atmosphere throughout the ceremony was one of solemnity and determination. The event marked the beginning of a strategic cooperation that should play a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of food systems not only in Chad, but throughout the West Africa and Sahel region. By mobilising local and international players, the FSRP-TD offers hope for sustainable food security capable of withstanding future crises. The expected benefits of this initiative should extend beyond national borders, with positive spin-offs for millions of people in the region.

From 30 January 2024 to 14 February 2025, a joint participatory mission to identify suitable agricultural sites was carried out in the Massakory Regional Coordination in Chad. This initiative is part of the Programme de Résilience du Système Alimentaire en Afrique de l'Ouest et au Sahel (FSRP-Chad), which aims to identify agricultural land that could be developed to strengthen the resilience of the local food system.

A total of 443 hectares were identified at 22 sites, with a particular focus on those requiring immediate development. Of these hectares, 50 have been selected for small-scale market-gardening projects, spread over 12 sites targeted for the launch of micro-projects. These projects are awaiting the results of environmental and social screening.

In addition, 130 hectares of arable land have been selected for technical studies, with a view to equipping them with the high-capacity boreholes needed for more intensive farming. Preliminary assessments of development costs estimate a total investment of CFA1.1 billion for this first phase, including CFA404 million for market garden projects and CFA687 million for field crops.

Specific studies will be carried out on these sites, including the installation of hybrid mini-pumping stations, water distribution networks and anti-erosion measures in vulnerable areas. Safety infrastructure, such as fencing for market garden sites and drainage networks for field crops, is also envisaged to ensure the sustainability of the projects.

The methodology of this mission consisted of consultation with local authorities, producers and other local stakeholders to ensure that the sites selected met the needs of the communities. The selection was made considering geographical, hydrogeological, socio-economic and environmental specificities. Farmers, particularly those on the outskirts of the capital N’Djamena, have expressed a strong interest in developing these lands.

The sites selected will have to go through an environmental and social screening process before being awarded the development studies, which will be carried out in-house, pooling skills both within the UCTF and with technical partners. At the same time, discussions will be held with SODELAC concerning polder sites in the Lac province.

As part of its activities, the Programme for Food System Resilience in West Africa and the Sahel (PRSA-TD) organised a four-day training course at the Sesame Grain Innovation Platform in Tapol, in the province of Logone Occidental. The initiative, in partnership with the Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (ITRAD), brought together 25 participants, including 15 women, to tackle the key issues of managing post-harvest losses and drawing up business plans.

The programme included theoretical sessions and practical case studies, enabling participants to gain a better understanding of the issues involved in conserving agricultural produce and structuring their activities. The training focused on climate-smart, gender-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive agricultural technologies, as well as pest and disease control strategies.

Managing post-harvest losses is a major problem for farmers in Chad, where the climate and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to store and preserve crops. Thanks to this training, farmers have acquired practical conservation and storage skills to reduce losses, improve product quality and increase farm profitability.

Drawing up business plans is essential for structuring producers' activities and facilitating access to finance. By learning how to design business plans tailored to market realities, participants will be able to better manage their resources, attract investors and develop their activities on a larger scale. This strategic tool should make Chad's agricultural sector more competitive.

It should be emphasised that this training, although specific, is part of an overall approach to the sustainable development of agriculture in Chad, aimed at equipping small-scale producers with the technologies and strategies they need to meet the country's socio-economic challenges.

50 young farmers, including female beneficiaries of the PRSA in the provinces of Logone Oriental, Logone Occidental and Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, were trained from 26 to 27 June 2024 in the prevention and management of pollution and the rational and sustainable use of natural resources. The training focused on the rational use of natural resources and pollution prevention and management.

Over the course of 02 days, the learners acquired new knowledge about water and energy consumption and the problems associated with the irresponsible use of natural resources. In terms of pollution prevention and management, they learned about pesticide/insecticide management techniques and waste management (chemical product packaging). All of this training was followed by practical demonstrations of water pollution pre-treatment (screening, sand removal or oil and grease removal processes).

Overall, we note that economic activities, particularly those with an agricultural base, are often the cause of air, water and soil pollution, and deplete already limited resources. These effects can undoubtedly threaten human health, ecosystem services and the environment on a local, regional and global scale. Current and projected atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the well-being of present and future generations. This calls for more efficient and rational use of resources, pollution prevention and mitigation techniques and practices. Hence the need for this training course, the foundation for the preservation and rational management of natural resources for present and future generations.