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EA region to benefit from agricultural financing

Wednesday September 13 2017
FARMER

A farmer waters her seedlings. The launch of the project is in line with the goals laid out in the 2014 Maputo declaration to enhance investment finance and resilience in livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other shocks. PHOTO FILE | NATION

By VICTOR KIPROP

East African countries are among the beneficiaries of a new multibillion agricultural funding programme aimed at increasing incomes and improving the food security of 30 million households in 11 African countries by 2021.

Ethiopia, Kenya Tanzania and Rwanda are among the priority countries set to benefit from the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (Piata), which will provide up to $280 million for agricultural transformation.

The project, which was launched a week ago at the 2017 African Green Revolution Forum, is from a partnership of the Rockefeller Foundation, USAid and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that have been supporting agricultural initiatives separately in Africa.

According to Mamadou Biteye, the managing director of the Rockerfeller Foundation Africa Regional Office, the partnership will allow the partners to complement efforts and leverage on their networks for greater impact.

“We are looking forward to deploying the technologies that we have helped develop over the years, to gather our shared knowledge and grant support to work with our esteemed partners.

Together we hope to catalyse Africa’s pursuit for prosperity through agriculture,” Mr Biteye said.

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The launch of the project is in line with the goals laid out in the 2014 Maputo declaration to enhance investment finance and resilience in livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other shocks.

READ: $13m deal to boost Kenya agriculture

Sean Jones, the senior deputy assistant administrator at USAid said Piata offers a new way of doing business to ensure food security and economic growth.

Agnes Kalibata, the president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, hailed the partnership, saying that the partnership would contribute significantly towards accelerating Africa’s path to prosperity by growing inclusive economies and jobs through agriculture.

“Piata will be critical in bringing key players together to support governments in their push to fully unlock the potential of Africa’s smallholder farming and agribusiness,” she said.

Other beneficiaries of the strategic partnership are Ghana,Mali, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Mozambique.

ALSO READ: South Korea courts East Africa with $155 million for projects

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