[Agriculture] IFAD approves loans, grants to combat rural poverty

From Angola Press

Rome, Italy, 12/15 - The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)`s executive board has approved US$204.8 million in loans to support rural development programmes and projects in 12 countries, seven of them from Africa, IFAD has said.

In a press statement, the Rome-based IFAD said the African countries who will benefit from the loans and grants are Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Tunisia and Zambia.

Joining them are Albania, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Republic of Moldova, it said.

The Board also approved US$11.25 million in grants to support indigenous producers, farmers, farmers` organizations, agricultural research and exchange of information and training programmes, the IFAD statement said.