Agriculture: Togo launches emergency plan to support the sector amidst the Coronavirus crisis

Agriculture

Monday, 27 April 2020 14:24

Agriculture: Togo launches emergency plan to support the sector amidst the Coronavirus crisis

(Togo First) - Togo has launched the Covid-19 agricultural response plan. This includes various emergency measures aimed at boosting food and nutritional security, as well as improving farmers' earnings.

In effect, emergency loans, agricultural equipment, and irrigation kits will be provided to the producers. Also, the plan will promote job placement agencies.

Moreover, the scheme targets production of 225,000 tons of cotton, about 2 million tons of corn, about 140,000 tons of soybeans, and over 330,000 tons of rice. These should help increase production revenues by around XOF228 billion.

In this framework, the State urges all local producers to get registered to benefit from the emergency measures. The farmers must do so at their head association (for example the NSCT for cotton farmers, and SME/SMIs that operate in high added-value sectors such as soybeans), or at any remote office of the ministry of agriculture.

Information needed for the registration includes a voter's ID number, an active phone number with an attached e-wallet.

Agriculture contributes more than 40% of Togo's GDP and employs nearly 65% of the country's active population.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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