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With the agreements finalized and the project launched, Chad, with the support of development partners, has embarked on a long and exciting journey to offer climate-smart innovations to farmers facing the consequences of climate change.

The Projet de renforcement de la productivité agricole et résilience au climat (ProPAD) is an initiative of the Chadian government. Its main aim is to facilitate the deployment of climate-sensitive technologies in priority commodities in targeted communities in Chad. The project is financed by a World Bank loan scheme.

An agreement signed between Chad and Africa's largest sub-regional research organization (CORAF) in June 2018 will enable the latter to use the approach and technologies of the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) to accelerate the delivery of technologies that can improve agricultural productivity.

We met with the coordinator of ProPAD, Mrs. Khadidja Abdelkader. In the following interview, Ms. Abdelkader, also a former minister, talks about this ambitious project and how it will bring relief to some 360,000 people in her country.

Listen to the full interview with ProPAD coordinator Khadidja Abdelkader

Questions : First, tell us what ProPAD is?

Ms. Abdelkader: ProPAD stands for Projet de renforcement de la productivité agricole et résilience au climat (Project to boost agricultural productivity and climate resilience).

Questions: Why was this program created?

Mme. Abdelkader: It was created because we have a lot of problems in the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector in Chad is underperforming because research is not advancing and the extension service is also weak.

Questions: How will the ProPAD program resolve these shortcomings?

Ms. Abdelkader: It will be in relation to the activities that have been identified, especially support for research. We're going to be working with the thirteen (13) PPAOO countries, which have already generated over 200 technologies. We can't afford to waste any more time, we have to move fast and identify technologies that meet our needs and those of our producers.

Questions Can you already identify some of these technologies?

Ms. Abdelkader: We have a few ideas, but we're not going to impose things on growers. We're going to transfer these technologies at their request. The project will operate in three (3) provinces: Moyen-Chari, Mandoul and Salama. All these provinces are in the Sudanian agro-ecological zone, where rainfall is very good. Temperatures vary between 800 and 1200 mm per year. And we're going to be able to adopt crops such as dry crops, oilseeds, protein crops and so on.

Questions: You recently signed an agreement with CORAF. Can you give us the details of this agreement?

Mrs. Abdelkader: As you know, CORAF is an institution shared by Central and West Africa. The organization has experts who have already helped West Africa implement the WAPP, and they will be doing the same for us. And it's with this in mind that the Government of Chad and CORAF signed a subsidiary agreement in June 2018, and so we're waiting for CORAF to support research and extension in Chad to enable us to move forward in these areas.

Questions: How many years does this agreement with CORAF cover, and what are its objectives?

Ms. Abdelkader: The agreement will last for the duration of the project. They have to support us for the full five years, and if there's an extension, they have to support us - it's their job, so to speak. In particular, it involves support for setting up innovation platforms and transferring technologies that have already been generated in the WAPP countries.

Questions: What is the state of research and development in Central African countries today?

Ms. Abdelkader: In Central Africa as a whole, it's in Cameroon that research normally does its job, but in the other CEAC or CEMAC member countries, research isn't making any headway. But in Cameroon there are a lot of researchers, and they're doing a good job.

Questions Are there any lessons that CEAC can learn from ECOWAS in this area?

Ms. Abdelkader: CEAC is in the process of being structured, and the organization needs to draw inspiration from what CEDAO is doing to move the Central African sub-region forward. Particularly in terms of agricultural development, there has been no progress at CEAC level.

Questions: How is climate change affecting crops in your country, Chad?

Ms. Abdelkader: Chad is first and foremost a Sahelian country, and we're suffering the effects of climate change due in particular to the climatic conditions of the Sahelian region. There's drought, flooding, violent winds, etc. We're going to draw up local development plans. We're going to draw up local development plans that take climate change into account. Climate-smart agriculture projects will also be drawn up, so institutions, local operators and partners will support communities in developing climate-smart agriculture projects.

Questions: You've been involved in development for decades. Tell us what motivates you today, and do you think that the various development plans currently being drawn up are meeting people's needs?

Mrs. Abdelkader: What motivates me most about rural agriculture is that I love the profession, and I've been working in it since my university days. It's a fascinating job because you work directly with the people on the ground, the farmers in particular, and you get to know the realities. But I'm worried, and this worry is linked to the fact that we're not moving fast enough, because despite investments and development plans, the rural environment is still very poor.

Questions: Isn't this linked to a lack of political will?

Ms. Abdelkader: That's true, there's that too. At international meetings, the people in charge adhere to the different concepts and ideas of the experts, but once they're back home, there's no follow-up. I liked what happened in Guinea Conakry. Because the President there has made a personal commitment to advancing agriculture, and I'd like him to encourage his fellow heads of state to do the same.

Questions: As a former minister, are you going to talk to President Idriss Déby to get him more involved in this issue?

Mrs. Abdelkader: I would if the opportunity arose, but you know it's not easy. Because the experts are doing their utmost to provide the necessary studies to enable politicians to become more involved. But there are always delays.

Questions: What is the future of the agricultural industry in Chad?

Ms. Abdelkader: That's a question we can't answer right now. Because we're in the process of thinking about how we can change the current situation, and with the support of CORAF we hope to do so soon.

See also: 

             Chad and CORAF agree to promote climate-smart technologies