Farmers sell seeds to grow profits in Central African Republic
Farmer cooperatives used machinery, marketing and other support provided by the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the PAPEUR -RURAL programme to dramatically increase their seed production. That’s created a new income stream that let them expand into new businesses, like soap and honey.
To help revive farming in the Central African Republic, 33 cooperatives were created through the ITC Promotion of Urban and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (PAPEUR Rural). Of those, three specialize in seed-production and have received certification from the National Seed Office.
That allowed them to market their seeds. They increased their seed production in 2023, growing their incomes.
Toumbazara, which means ‘fight hunger’ in the Sango language, is a seed cooperative in the town of Bossembélé, 165 km from the capital, Bangui. Made up mainly of women, the co-op produced a record 13 tons of maize seed. ‘These funds have enabled the cooperative to expand into other income-generating activities, such as liquid soap production and the sale of groundnuts and honey,’ said Toumbazara president Christine Imbi.
Amou Pilote, a cooperative about 205 km from Bangui, produced 8,950 tonnes of maize seed, which earned 8,055,000 CFA francs (about $13,000). In the Lobaye prefecture south of Bangiu, I yé ti maï – meaning ‘we want development’ – generated 4,500,000 CFA francs ($7,250) with their maize production.
That extra income can now be ploughed back into their farms, another step in making agriculture more sustainable.
