The project, supported by the FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, foresees the delivery of funds to a total of 3366 Farmer Field Schools (FACS) composed of 100,980 family farmers throughout 2020.
The delivery will take place in three phases, the first starting this month with the delivery of 185,000 kwanzas to 1097 new ECA in three provinces: 471 in Huambo, 355 in Bié and 271 in Malanje.
This money will strengthen the initial savings fund of each ECA to "boost the organization and development of their productive actions - for example, for the acquisition of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, tools) and their organizational capacity for product marketing and financial management".
The objective of the Family Agriculture Development and Marketing Project (MOSAP II) is to increase the productivity, production and marketing of family agriculture, through the creation of 4000 Field Schools in 70 communes in the three provinces - Huambo, Bié and Malanje.
The aim is to reach 142,000 family farmers who should strengthen their capacities to analyse production systems, identify problems, test and adapt possible solutions and adopt good agricultural and commercial practices.
MOSAP II has a budget of US$7.8 million and lasts five years.
The Field Schools were introduced in our country in 2005 by FAO, in partnership with the Institute for Agrarian Development (IDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and other international partners.
The ECA consists of groups of 30 peasants from a village or neighbourhood, who meet regularly every 7 to 15 days throughout the production cycle of a crop to try out new production options together with the help of a facilitator.
"To enable the ECA to create agribusiness capacity, the group organizes and starts a community savings process and receives financial reinforcement (ECAs Reinforcement Funds) as an economic stimulus for collective work", explains the FAO in the communiqué.
