Central African Republic

Sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the most vulnerable agricultural populations in the Ouaka

The two areas targeted by this program are located within a radius of fifty kilometers North (Bakala) and South-West (Kouango) of the city of Bambari (Ouaka Prefecture), which hosts a well-supplied market which prices are not the highest in the country. The families of the 22 villages, mainly agricultural, do not generate enough income to cover their basic needs. Their diet mainly consists of cassava, whose nutritional value is limited. Diversification of local agricultural production is therefore a priority. Moreover, it is likely to become the source of an increase in family income and of the creation of positive economic dynamics.

Field assessments and the documentary study conducted by Triangle G H allowed the identification of the structural hindrances to the development of the area, as well as the key sectors of intervention. The level of knowledge of agricultural techniques turned out to be very low, and the lack of national popularization policy of farming practices did not allow so far the large scale development of reliable technical itineraries. The storage of food and seeds is not suitable for their good preservation, simple irrigation systems are poorly developed, and only low-lying areas¹  are exploited in counter-season, although the water resource for irrigation is abundant in the vicinity of the villages. The means of processing agricultural products are scarce, and road access - essential to access services, to trade and exchange goods and techniques with the national structures present in Bambari – is very difficult, especially during the rainy season.
Small flocks, often present in Banda families, constitute a central economic "reserve" to compensate for the lack of income. However, breeding practices are considerably suboptimal, and require extensive strengthening of basic technical knowledge In order to achieve a significant improvement in animal production.

Finally, the exchange of good practices related to the production and the sharing of the means of production (knowledge, exchange of seeds), processing (mills, shellers, presses) and/or marketing must be developed via farmers organizations in order to strengthen the key stages of rural development.

This program aims to sustainably reduce food insecurity of vulnerable groups by increasing and diversifying local food production, and by strengthening local capacity for resilience and shock absorption.

It focuses on eight areas:

• Strengthening of rainfed farming systems: Supply of inputs, “Research-Action”approach², establishment of demonstration plots, and dissemination of the results.
  
  
• Strengthening of irrigated cultivation systems in low-lying areas: Supply of inputs and equipment, technical training, monitoring and assessment.
  
  
• Development of vegetable gardens: Valuing of existing resources, supply of tools, training, and implementation method.
  
  
• Strengthening of the technical capacities of agents in agricultural research and development in direct support to farmers: The agents of the ACDA will be involved in the implementation of all the activities. The selection of the plots and tests will be done together with the farmers, so that they will be able to repeat this method afterwards. The ICRA³ will also be involved in the project via its research and variety improving activities.
  
  
• Strengthening of the breeding systems: theoretical and practical training, support to input supply, implementation.
  
  
• Development of processing, storage and selling capacities: supply of equipment, training adapted to existing practices in partnership with local institutions in order to ensure the proper use and the regular maintenance of the supplied equipment, implementation method.
  
  
• Strengthening of organizational capacities of village groups: implementation method, transfer of skills and extension of the areas of intervention.
  
  
• Rehabilitation of road infrastructures: Monitoring of the building work (supervision of the work by skilled technicians), supply of building materials (if available and depending on the outcome of tenders), and use of labor for excavation works (rehabilitation of access ways).

¹ Fertile banks of the rivers whose level drops during the dry season

²Research-action is a scientific research method founded by Kurt Lewin. It offers a range of research techniques achieving real experiences in natural social groups. These techniques are based on the idea that, in the context of sociological experimentation, research and action may be unified within the same activity (source Wikipédia)

³ Central African Institute of Agronomic Research