AfDB facilitates $120m for agric tech innovations in Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided $120 million to scale up adoption of agricultural technology innovations among the rural farmers on the African continent.
The fund, to be disbursed in three tranches of $40 million each from 2018-2021, was aimed at reaching 40 million farmers across the continent through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme.
TAAT Coordinator, Mr Krishan Bheenick, disclosed this during a capacity development and technology outreach programme organised by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in partnership with the AfDB and TAAT in Abuja.
According to him, AfDB was planning to mobilise a total of $800 million for the project implementation across the three years of execution.
The Lead Specialist, Innovation Systems and Partnerships for FARA, Dr Oluwole Fatunbi, described the training as important considering the roles of agriculture extension workers in boosting farm production.He said the 70 people being trained from across schools, research institutes and non-governmental organisations were expected to train 50 others.
Dr. Fatunbi explained further that 400 innovation platforms would be set up in the participating countries to meet the needs of at least 25,000 farmers in each of the innovation hubs.
