$13mn QFFD aid for expansion of poultry sector in Sierra Leone and The Gambia

Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has signed a five-year, $13mn agreement with World Poultry Foundation (WPF) to expand its flagship programme the 'African Poultry Multiplication Initiative (APMI)' in The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
This new partnership will increase poultry production by up to 200% compared to local indigenous breeds for over 100,000 small-scale producers, significantly increasing household income and nutrition.
HE the Director-General of QFFD, Khalifa al-Kuwari, said: "This partnership with WPF and supporting unique programmes such as APMI is a quantum leap in the food security sector, as poultry production systems will not only help resource-poor areas, but will play a massive role in providing livelihood essentials to vulnerable groups and provide households with income and nutritionally rich food sources."
"This agreement is a continuation of QFFD's efforts in supporting food security and climate efforts. Last year, Qatar Fund for Development launched Nanmo initiative with Bill & Melinda Gates, investing in climate-adaptive agriculture tools and technologies to build resilient food systems and markets that provide nutrition, income and economic opportunities to small-scale producers in the African communities," he added.
The statistics indicate that across Africa, over 70% of smallholder farmers rear poultry, 80% of whom are women. These farmers often need access to high-quality poultry, balanced feed, technical training, access to financial services, and efficient market linkages to realise a profitable poultry operation.
Since 2017, WPF has been involved in developing and implementing the APMI. The programme has supported the distribution of 97.5mn day-old chicks, registered over 13,000 new Brooder Units, and reached nearly 2.4mn small-scale producers in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The APMI programme works with private sector partners to incentivise developing markets in hard-to-reach rural areas where high-quality inputs are otherwise inaccessible.