Agricultural Diversification and Intensification Project

The main objectives of this seven-year project were to:

• boost agricultural production and the incomes of rural poor people
• establish and strengthen community organizations
• increase employment opportunities
• strengthen government services and NGOs in order to support farmers
• develop basic rural infrastructure

The project piloted a scheme of market operating groups (MOGs). Thirty-five groups were formed from members of microcredit groups ready to increase the scale of their operations. The loans made available to MOG members were significantly larger, enabling them to expand their enterprises, especially where they also received appropriate training. The results of the MOGs revealed that members had increased their incomes substantially because they were able to enlarge the scope of their activities such as producing and marketing eggs and vegetables, or take on additional income-earning activities such as sewing and food processing.

Source: IFAD