In the western part of the Central African Republic (CAR) lies the Nana-Mambéré prefecture, divided in two by CAR’s primary trade route with Cameroon. The road is the country’s most important lifeline (for supplies coming from Douala’s port), and also its only real possibility for trading timber or agricultural exports internationally.

To support farming communities in Nana- Mambéré, Mercy Corps, in conjunction with the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation, recently completed one of the largest seed distribution ever performed in CAR. Reaching over 12,500 farmers, the programme was designed to address three of the major issues facing people in Nana-Mambéré: food insecurity, chronic poverty and hunger.

Each seed kit consisted of 4 kilogrammes of peanut seeds and 10 kilogrammes of corn seed.  In addition, Mercy Corps also trained communities in better farming techniques so they could improve their yields.  With higher yields, people will be able to expand beyond subsistence farming and convert their surplus crops into cash, increasing the flow of trade within, into and out of CAR.

Below are pictures that were taken throughout the process of kitting the seeds, the workshops, and the seed’s distribution.

(Photo credit: Jenny Vaughan - Mercy Corps)

For more information, please contact: John Hanson - jhanson[at]cr.mercycorps.org