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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dara Calleary TD and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD today jointly announced a further call for applications for the Africa Agri-Food Development (AADP) programme. This programme, which is a joint initiative between the two departments, provides support of up to €250,000 to Irish companies in partnerships with African companies.
Projects must be based in Africa, must be commercial in focus and deliver real benefits to local communities. All state funding is to be matched by the Irish company. Funds are also available for feasibility studies.
Minister Calleary stated:
"I am delighted to launch this latest round of funding under the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme. Previous experience has shown that the AADP enables Irish agri-food companies to partner with African companies to support sustainable growth of the local food industry; to build markets for local produce; and to support mutual trade between Ireland and Africa. The Programme for Government is ambitious on international trade and initiatives such as the AADP strengthen our existing links and is also significant in the context of Ireland’s response to the EU’s Task Force for Rural Africa."
Minister Coveney said:
"Recognising the important role agriculture plays in both the Irish economy and in the economies of African countries, I am delighted that my department is once again supporting the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme. The AADP enables Irish companies to form partnerships with African businesses so that they can advance shared interests in expanding and strengthening the African agri-food sector."
Applications for AADP support must be submitted online and the application form can be accessed at www.agriculture.gov.ie/aadp.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 2 September 2020.
ENDS
The AADP provides support to Irish Companies operating in or interested in establishing partnerships with African Companies in 16 sub-Saharan African countries: Botswana, Cóte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Finance for the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme will be drawn from existing overseas development aid budgets in the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Foreign Affairs. The Programme is managed by a Steering Committee comprised of officials from both departments.
The National Task Team for Rural Africa (NTTRA) was established to develop an Irish response to the EU Task Force on Rural Africa (TFRA) report, released in March 2019. The Irish response will be shared approach, by all relevant stakeholders, to advancing rural development and Food Systems Transformation (FST) across the African continent.