As stated by the AfDB, the original project provided for the development of 660 hectares of rice farms and 60 hectares of vegetable farms. Technical studies indicated an overrun of about 30% in the cost of hydro-agricultural works, stemming from:(i) price hike striggered by the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the COVID 19 pandemic; (ii) technical options for developing the lowlands (dyke height and length) and vegetable farms (solar energy and fencing to keep off stray animals); and (iii) inclusion of the Binhoni lowlands (180 ha) and 20 ha of vegetable farms that had not been developed under the PDCV-Riz project due to the lack of financial resources. These new works will be financed with ADF16 resourcesas requested by the Government.

The additional financing (AF) should make it possible to achieve the objectives and outcomes of the original project. Specifically, it would impact around 2,500 smallholder farmers and benefit 76,700 school children. It will help to improve literacy rate in the project area by increasing school enrolment by 3% and school attendance from 95% to 97%. The AF will also enable the additional production of 2,580 tonnes of rice and 1,200 tonnes of vegetables (onion, tomato, cabbage, carrot, okra, pepper, etc.).

Under the original project, support was provided,on a pilot basis,to three school canteens through information, sensitisation and education activities on nutrition, hygiene and preventing the resurgence of water-borne diseases. The additional financing will make it possible to scale up support for school canteens throughout the project area and in the Quinara region, thanks to WFP which is implementing the Local School Nutrition Programme (HGSF). This programme, pursuant to Decree-Law No. 1/2019 to regulate school nutrition services, was launched in 2020 after the implementation of a pilot phase in the Cacheu and Ohio regions.

Specifically, PACVEAR will benefit many rural producers who would have easier access to facilities, inputs and equipment, and probably sell their produce more easily and at reduced cost. Project activities will focus on two highly vulnerable target groups in rural areas - women and youths. The project will directly benefit 4 400 households/farmers, or 35 000 people, at least 13 000 of them women. It will indirectly benefit all households in the three regions concerned through the outcomes of its activities and transformational investments. From the institutional viewpoint, the project will involve some 110 FOs, unions, EIGs and management committees. The implementation of project activities will create 2 800 decent jobs (for men, women and youths).

AfDB Team Leader:

Aimé BICABA
Email: a.bicaba@afdb.org

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/.