The National Agricultural and Rural Training Strategy (SNFAR) was unveiled yesterday. The project benefits from the support of the European Union through the RINDRA programme.
A boost in the development process of the agricultural sector in Madagascar, with the launch of the National Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Training (SNFAR). In concrete terms, this is a local project which consists of training technicians capable of working in the agricultural sector in rural areas. “This is a process that follows in the footsteps of the first SNFAR set up in 2012 which also aims by 2035 to “obtain an efficient agricultural and rural training system adapted to the current challenges of modernizing the agricultural sector”, after explanations by technicians from the Department of Extension, Agricultural and Rural Training (DVFAR) at MINAE. This time, the SNFAR is spread over the medium and long terms. The duration set for its implementation is twelve years, during which the strategy will be regularly reviewed. The initiative, which is also supported by the European Union through the RINDRA program, is accompanied by the training of executives within the ministry as well as the granting of certificates of “popular farmer”.
Implementation
According to the words of the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Harifidy Ramilison, this initiative of his department (MINAE) falls precisely within the framework of capacity building as well as the enrichment of human capital within the agricultural sector. . “The MINAE wants to develop economic production at the base, to achieve this end, we had developed a national strategy that will allow the training of new technicians capable of facing the challenges of the agricultural sector in order to achieve food self-sufficiency. Indeed, agricultural and rural training plays a vital role in our agricultural sector development policies”, he explained yesterday at the Carlton Anosy, during the SNFAR presentation workshop. The international partners, for their part, are enthusiastic about the idea of making the project a reality. The European Union Ambassador to Madagascar, Isabelle Delattre Burger confirms that the EU will support the project. “If we decided to support this strategy, it is because it is truly essential for developing resilient and sustainable food systems.
This is very important for the future and the implementation of the plan because now it means that there is real ownership of the strategy by all stakeholders,” she confides. However, a few points remain to be settled before actually implementing this national strategy. Indeed, the question of financing remains to be determined, but the technical and financial partners as well as the institutional machinery are reassuring. “The budgeting phase of this national strategy will be finalized in a few months because this project will have to start this year”, indicates the ministry. According to the latest figures, agriculture currently represents 21.9% of the Big Island’s Gross Domestic Product with 80% of the active population working on it. Farms that are mostly centered around the family home. The implementation of this strategy could indeed allow traditional production units to optimize their performance, with regular monitoring.