The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided an additional $21.87 million to the Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) project.The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided an additional $21.87 million to the Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) project The move forms part of USAID’ Global Food Security Response (GFSR) that is aimed at promoting Agribusiness and Trade in West Africa. USAID-ATP Chief of Party, Dr. Ismael Ouedraogo, in a press statement, emphasized that the Expanded Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (E-ATP) program would increase the value and volume of intra-regional trade in rice, millet, sorghum and poultry. The targeted countries of the program include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. E-ATP aims to increase trade by more than 30 percent in the target value chains and reduce illicit charges related to regional transport by 25 percent along the selected corridors. It noted that West Africa was vulnerable to external food shortages and highlighted the possibility of widespread food insecurity and unrest. “Growing volatility in prices and trade flows, limited credit and import demand resulting from the global financial crisis and on-going structural changes in global and regional commodity markets pose as a threat to food security in the region,” the statement noted. It further mentioned the program would provide additional opportunity to facilitate and expand intra-regional trade across the region to increase the availability of staple food commodities in order to tackle the problems of food insecurity, reduce poverty and hunger in the sub-region. Additionally, the E-ATP program is aimed at reducing the incidence of physical and policy-related barriers of transporting agricultural and related commodities in West Africa. The program would enhance linkages among agricultural stakeholders, improve effectiveness of advocacy for regional and national policies and develop the efficiency of trade transactions among member countries. E-ATP would also enhance the capacity of private poultry and improve animal health through the prevention and control of avian influenza outbreaks. The trade promotion projects would help West African countries attain the six percent agricultural growth target set under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) of the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). This article can be found at www.dailyguideghana.com |
