Kasungu Agricultural Development Project

This was part of a three-pronged project appraised by the World Bank and IFAD within the context of the government’s National Rural Development Programme. The Kasungu project targeted small-scale farmers, including members of farmers’ associations.

The aim of the project was to strengthen institutional development in the Kasungu area and also to contribute to the development of farmers’ associations. The objective was to increase agricultural production, initially for food crops such as maize and later for export crops such as groundnuts, tobacco, cotton and beans. Activities included improvement of veterinary health services and a pilot scheme to increase milk, poultry and meat production.

The project included support for:

• increased effectiveness of extension services
• improved nutrition
• seasonal credit packages
• training for smallholders, especially women
• land husbandry, including plantings to reduce erosion
• livestock enterprises as part of mixed farming systems for small-scale farmers
• improvements in marketing, infrastructure and water supply

Source: IFAD