Project description

Title: Programme for Poverty Reduction in the Peanut Basin, Agriculture and Resource Management Component
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Senegal
Lead executing agency: Ministère des Collectivités Locales et de la Décentralisation
Overall term: January 2004 to December 2015

Context

Economic reforms and the currency devaluation of 1994 have resulted in a general economic recovery in Senegal. Economic growth, however, stemmed largely from activities in the industrial and service sectors. Agriculture in particular lagged far behind expectations, leaving the rural population unable to benefit from the overall economic upturn. Their poverty remains undiminished.

Objective

The rural population of the “peanut basin” in Senegal improve their use of natural resources and manage them sustainably in order to achieve higher yields on a long-term basis. 

Approach

The objectives are:

• at least 60 percent of the families grow rice on the land rehabilitated by the programme and can supply their own rice needs for eight months of the year (in the past, families could live on their own rice for up to only two months of the year)
• earnings from rainfed farming increase by 30 percent
• additionally, in the area of every rural community an average of at least 1500 ha, or about 5 percent of the area, should be declared as protected zones, generating 6000 CFA francs per year and per hectare through the gathering of fruit and sale of fuelwood.

To make it possible for local people to improve their use of land and forest resources, the technical and organisational models developed by forerunner projects must be made known and disseminated. Reduction of erosion and improved water management will result in a better production basis.

To safeguard the long-term use of natural resources, land use plans are developed.  Regulations for the use of individual resources are integrated into the community development plans. Of still more importance here are agreements between communities. This also supports expansion of community responsibilities within the scope of decentralisation.

Results achieved so far

• Training received by producer groups in propagating various basic seed stocks has created a good foundation for ensuring production on an area of about 1000 ha in the coming season.
• In 2004, 730 zones were declared protected areas by residents, a total of about 50,000 ha. This means that the total area of protected land with regulated use has tripled since the programme began.

This project is a component of the programme

• Programme for Poverty Reduction in the Peanut Basin