A farmer in Niger shows harvested crop.
Qatar Charity (QC) has signed an agreement with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to implement the project of seed distribution for irrigated agriculture season which will benefit more than 48,000 persons in Niger.
The agreement is aimed at providing food security, developing the agricultural system, raising awareness and organising training courses in Niger. The project will cover 170 villages and seeds will be distributed to 6,900 families, said a press release.
The strategic project is scheduled to run till March 2017.
QC aimed at providing food security, contributing to community development, enhancing beneficiaries’ access to agriculture inputs, and developing the agricultural system for this impoverished country, which suffers from drought and water scarcity.
QC takes the responsibility to inform the local authorities in targeted areas and coordinate with them to facilitate the work of projects. It selects the beneficiaries according to the degree of poverty, receives agricultural inputs and distributes them to the beneficiaries, trains the beneficiaries on irrigation systems, promotes awareness-raising activities among farmers, and writes progress reports and sends them to the partners.
Executive Director for Operations, Faisal Alfahidh, said that the development of Nigerian agricultural system contributes to impel the growth cycle. Since QC’s philosophy is based on two fundamental bases: humanitarian work and development projects, it sets among its priorities the implementation of development projects in the countries in which it operates. To that end, it has signed an agreement with FAO to support agricultural inputs of the people of Niger.
For this occasion, Alfahidh underlined QC’s continuous interest in expanding networking with international organisations to implement strategic projects that contribute to the development of the targeted countries and alleviate their suffering.
It is noteworthy that more than 1,860 families have benefited from seed distribution project. High-quality seed (millet and beans) were distributed to Harrikanaso people in Niger in a ceremony attended by district chief, the mayor, local authorities, regional directorate of agriculture, village chiefs, women cooperatives.
It is worth mentioning that the beneficiaries of food security programme, implemented by QC in Niger from 2007 to 2015 reached 800,000 people. The programme is based on income-generating projects in farming, livestock, and cooperatives fields. Responding to the call by Donors Forum that was held in January 2007 in Doha, QC has implemented this Program to support Niger to overcome its food crisis.
