IFAD Vice President visits rural poverty projects

Mr Michel Mordasini, Vice President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has visited some IFAD supported poverty reduction projects being undertaken in the Northern Region to gain first-hand knowledge about them.

Some of the products from the projects, consequently, were showcased for his assessment.

They included processed shea butter, traditional crafts, soaps, and some agricultural products by 30 micro and small enterprises at Savelugu, a soap processing group at Kanvilli and Savelugu, and the Women Shea Processing Center in Tamale.

Mr Mordasini also interacted with members of the Savannah Farmers’ Marketing Company and the District Value Chain Committees near Wamale, who engage in the production and marketing of agricultural produce.

With his team, he also visited the Tibzaa Guinea Fowl Farm at Wamale near Tamale.

The Northern Rural Growth Programme, Rural Enterprises Programme, Root and Tuber Improvement Project and the Rural Agricultural Finance Project being undertaken in the Northern Region and parts of the country are also supported by IFAD.

The two-day visit of Mr Mordasini also formed part of IFAD’s independent programme of assessing the projects to inform future decisions on how to proceed with the funding of its projects.

Mr Mordasini said IFAD was keenly working with other partners to create more opportunities and potentials for the Region to reduce poverty.

He said IFAD was considering supporting the processing of the produce to increase their value as well as scaling up what had been achieved to ensure higher results.

Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, described as ‘encouraging’ the strides being made by beneficiaries of the projects, and asked for more support to enable them to realise their full potentials.

Dr Yakubu Alhassan said the Government was working to expand the IFAD projects to ensure that more people benefitted.

Madam Rahinatu Iddi, Manager of a local Soap Processing Centre at Savelugu, said the programme had helped to improve her income so she had employed 17 people at the Centre to help in the processing of soap.     

GNA