(Ecofin Agency) - Tunisia will soon get from the African Development Bank (AfDB) two loans worth a total of €38.6 million to finance its project for the valorisation of irrigated lands and to develop agricultural value chains. This was revealed by AfDB itself which highlighted that the facilities will be provided via its co-financing fund, Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF).

Aiming mainly to improve the living standards and earnings of rural populations which are among the least favored, the project will be carried out between March 2018 and December 2022. 

It will target 14 delegations in the central-west of Tunisia, attached to the governorates of Kairouan, Kasserine and Sidi Bouzid and will comprise many activities of which the valorization and rehabilitation of 9,000 hectares of irrigated lands in rural zones, the commercialization and valorization of agricultural products as well as the development of agricultural value chains.

“The project will directly benefit more than 3,500 households, or about 20,000 people, 50% of which are women and 50% are youth,” said Mohamed El Azizi, managing director of AfDB for North Africa.

Let it be recalled that agriculture contributes to 10% of Tunisia’s GDP and to 10% of its export earnings, according to AfDB.

Espoir Olodo