In Guinea, agriculture contributes 27.3% to the GDP and employs around 60% of the active population. The government, aiming to intensify agricultural production, is focusing on improving mechanization in the sector.
Ceremony Marks Receipt of Agricultural Equipment
On August 7th, Elhadj Mamady Condé, Senior Advisor in charge of Animal Production and Food at the Ministry of Agriculture, presided over the ceremony to receive a batch of over 300 pieces of agricultural equipment for farmers.
The announcement was made in a statement published on the X (formerly Twitter) page of the Ministry.
Equipment Donation from the Islamic Development Bank
With a total value of $22 million, this equipment batch includes tractors, combine harvesters, grain mills, hullers, tricycles, and motorcycles.
According to the official, this is a donation from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) within the framework of the Gaoual-Koundara-Mali Integrated Rural Development Project (PDRI-GKM).
This project aims to reduce constraints related to agricultural development in the prefectures of Gaoual, Koundara, and Mali in the northeastern part of the country.
Support for the Integrated Agricultural Development Project
More broadly, this support from the IsDB aims to contribute to the implementation of the Integrated Agricultural Development Project of Guinea (PDAIG).
This government program, initiated in 2019, aims to increase agricultural productivity and market access for beneficiary producers in five priority agricultural value chains, including rice, corn, and potatoes.
Guinea’s Rice Production
It’s worth noting that Guinea is the second-largest producer of milled rice in West Africa after Nigeria, with a harvest of nearly 1.95 million tons in 2022/2023.