The Défis program, which translates to "challenges," is a 10-year initiative launched in 2019 to promote agricultural development and improve food security in Madagascar. The program is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to the tune of $250 million and is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Its primary objective is to support 320,000 farmers in the southern and central regions of the island.
According to Pierrot Serge Randrianaritiana, coordinator of the Défis program, the main challenge facing Madagascar's agricultural sector is the low productivity of farms. He notes that the sector's underperformance is a major cause of poverty in the country, with 82% of the population living below the poverty line. The Défis program seeks to address this issue by providing support to farmers, including the provision of seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, as well as training and capacity-building.
The Défis program covers nine regions in the south and central-east of Madagascar and focuses on eight key crops, including rice, maize, cassava, peanuts, coffee, onions, small ruminants, and honey. The program aims to improve the entire value chain, from seed production to product marketing, and also supports the development of promising value chains such as sorghum and millet. These crops have the potential to enhance the resilience of family farms in semi-arid areas.
Randrianaritiana emphasizes that the Défis program is built on past experiences, including projects such as Aropa and Prosperer, as well as ongoing initiatives like AD2M and Formaprod. The program's strategy is to enable farmers to become independent and behave like genuine economic actors in the development process. To achieve this, the program plans to invest $125 million in vital infrastructure, including water points, dams, and roads.
In addition to infrastructure development, the Défis program aims to promote the production of inputs, such as fertilizers and seeds, and small agricultural equipment. The program also plans to establish "champs-écoles" (school farms), community granaries, and processing units. Through the Tranoben'ny Tantsaha (Agricultural Chamber), the program seeks to support farmers' organizations and make them more autonomous.
The Défis program has made significant progress since its resumption, with 95% of the 20,000 hectares of irrigated land planned for restoration already completed. Additionally, 4,000 hectares of new irrigated perimeters have been developed. Since 2019, the program has produced and distributed 493 tons of certified seeds, 62,000 cassava cuttings, and 388,000 coffee plants to 29,000 farmers. The program has also established 1,551 school farms and demonstration plots.
Looking ahead, the Défis program plans to allocate $50 million to the Agricultural Development Fund (FDA) over 10 years to support farmers' access to finance. The program is also working with financial institutions to establish a new mechanism to support loans with preferential repayment terms. With the implementation of the agricultural aggregation law, which was adopted in June, the program aims to create a genuine synergy around agriculture and promote sustainable agricultural development in Madagascar.
Key points
- The Défis program aims to support 320,000 farmers in Madagascar's southern and central regions.
- The program focuses on eight key crops, including rice, maize, cassava, and coffee.
- The Défis program has a budget of $250 million and is implemented over a period of 10 years.
