|
SIDO gets 30bn/- IFAD funding for rural development
2008-03-06 09:50:33
By Beatrice Philemon
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has agreed to give a total of 30bn/- to the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) for the promotion of rural development in the country during the next seven years.
Mike Laiser, SIDO director general, revealed this recently at the just-ended training on financial management and accounting for accountants and auditors of projects funded by IFAD.
``IFAD has decided to provide the funds after discovering that inadequate knowledge on value chain management including information on marketing opportunities are major impediments that hinder both farmers and small entrepreneurs in rural areas from operating more effectively,`` he said.
He said most small-scale entrepreneurs did not understand how to improve their products, lacked bargaining skills and thorough knowledge of their markets.
In order to reduce the impediments, he said, his organisation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Marketing, had embarked on a training programme for small-scale entrepreneurs and farmers in rural areas with a view to enhancing their products` value and marketing skills.
Laiser said to meet those goals SIDO had received 2bn/- from IFAD for the implementation of a Rural- based Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Support Programme (R-SME), whose various projects would be implemented in six regions including Ruvuma, Iringa, Coast Region, Mwanza, Manyara and Tanga.
The major goal of the projects, according to the SIDO chief, is to have value chains that will deliver sustainable margins to producers and thus increase their incomes and reduce poverty.
Others include to facilitate sustainable and less risky job creation in rural areas, to facilitate expansion of enterprises in exporting activities, thus improving their balance of payments, to foster the link between agriculture and industry, and to promote off-farm activities and wildlife and livestock products through agroprocessing and cooperatives.
According to Laiser, some of the funds will be spent on providing training on information of marketing opportunities and value chain management for small entrepreneurs and farmers so that they can develop products that will be acceptable in both the domestic and global markets.
He said in such projects, women will get priority because they are the main producers in rural areas.
|
