The Senegal River Valley Community Resilience and Development Project (PRDC-VFS) launched an operation in Matam to distribute 264 tons of agricultural inputs to farmers affected by flooding in the departments of Kanel and Matam. The supplies include rice, onion, and maize seeds, as well as fertilizers (DAP-type urea, triple 15, and 10-10-20).

“As in 2024, this support program was identified by the Senegal River Valley Community Resilience and Development Project (PRDC-VFS) to help producers become more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said Alassane Kane, the project’s monitoring and evaluation manager. He emphasized that beneficiary targeting was carried out in collaboration with the Delta and Falémé Land Development and Management Company (SAED), with which the project has signed a partnership agreement, in conjunction with the Regional Directorate of Rural Development (DRDR).

He also specifies that, "the project, which favors a bottom-up approach, requires the beneficiaries' approval of the implemented process." Furthermore, the participatory and inclusive targeting process was shared with the territorial authorities of the municipalities concerned, who endorsed the Saed's allocation proposals.

Speaking about the support program for producers impacted by the floods caused by the overflowing Senegal River, the monitoring and evaluation officer announced that the distribution of inputs for the dry and wet seasons is planned for no later than the first ten days of January. He noted in this regard that "the inputs to be used during the rainy season will be discussed and adjusted to reach the maximum number of beneficiaries."

The president of the Matam rice-growing district, Cheikh Guèye, who welcomed the support provided by the project, praised the assistance of the PRDC-VFS project, which aims to make communities more resilient to climate change by building the foundations for food self-sufficiency . "This support comes at a time when producers need it, as it eases their burden on acquiring inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, not to mention pesticides, which are crucial for ensuring good production," he stated.

Compared to eight in 2024, this year fifteen communes in the Matam region will benefit from these inputs, representing nearly 20,000 beneficiary producers.