(Ecofin Agency) - The International Fund for Agricultural Development granted Madagascar a loan and a donation of $53 million for the inclusive agricultural sectors development program (DEFIS).

Edmond Randriarimanana, Malagasy Minister of agriculture and livestock, and Gilbert Houngbo, IFAD’s chairman, have signed the related funding agreement.

The DEFIS, which is valued at a total cost of $250 million, aims to improve food and nutrition security and the resilience of rural populations against climate change effects.

In this framework, the program will undertake actions to improve the productivity and resilience of agricultural and livestock production systems and develop inclusive sectors (rice, maize, cassava, peanuts, coffee, onion, honey and small ruminants).

It is expected to impact 320,000 family farms, based in eight regions located in the South and Centrak Eastern parts of the Island.

In addition to IFAD, the DEFIS will be co-financed by the Malagasy government ($33.7 million), AfDB ($50 million), Green climate fund ($15 million) and beneficiaries ($14.3 million $).

Espoir Olodo