The International Development Association (IDA) Approves a US$7 Million Grant for the Emergency Food Security Support Project

Washington, August 26, 2008 – The Board of Directors of the International Development Association approved, on August 26, 2008, a grant of US$7 million (approximately CFAF 3.08 billion) for the Republic of Niger to finance the Emergency Food Security Support Project.

A landlocked Sahelian country, with close to 90 percent of the territory receiving less than 350 mm of rainfall each year, agriculture, Niger’s second leading source of revenue, is heavily dependent on the climate.

Following the increase in global food prices, low cereal grain production in 2007 in certain areas (at the national or regional level) and the strong demand for cereal grains and other agricultural products in neighboring countries, especially Nigeria, led to sharp price increases in Niger in 2008.

To address this situation, the Government adopted a number of measures to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and increase national agricultural production in a sustainable manner. It is against this backdrop that the Government submitted a request to the World Bank for assistance, with a view to implementing its food crisis contingency and management plan.

According to the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, this grant represents IDA’s positive response to the request from the Government of Niger, and will be used to finance an emergency food security support project.

The main objective of this project, which is expected to be implemented over 18 months, is to provide support for irrigated rice production and food security for households.

The project has two components:

• Component I (US$6.5 million) to procure and distribute fertilizers to rice producers at affordable prices; and
• Component II (US$500,000) to provide technical assistance to build the capacity of the National Food Crisis Prevention and Management Framework [Dispositif National de Prévention et de Gestion des Crises Alimentaires] and the project’s executing agencies.

Projected net revenues from the sale of the fertilizers will be deposited into the Food Security Fund of the National Food Crisis Prevention and Management Framework.

 

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