FAO assists 80 farmers' associations

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) began on Tuesday a week-long distribution of groundnuts, maize and rice seeds to some 80 farmers' associations in the Central African Republic (CAR), an official told IRIN.

FAO consultant Martine Fatime said the assistance, worth US $180,816, was for farmers in the provinces of Lobaye, Mbomou and Basse-Kotto, who were adversely affected by a rebellion led by current CAR leader Francois Bozize between October 2002 and March 2003. Farmers in the capital, Bangui, are also benefiting from the seed aid, he added.

"We grow cassava, groundnuts and maize, and the FAO assistance will help us increase our production," said Simone Izingi, the chairperson of one of the associations, known as "Belapou", in the PK 11 suburb of Bangui.

Izingi's association, comprising 24 farmers, received 250 kg of groundnut seeds from FAO.

The latest FAO distribution follows others in October and November 2003 and in January and March 2004 to farmers across the country, who were badly affected by the rebellion that ended on 15 March when Bozize ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse.