The Medium Term Investment Plan (MTIP) is a national plan with a multi-sectoral approach covering the period 2014 2018, whose main objectives are: (i) to promote agricultural and rural development and to support small farmers, so as to develop markets and reduce poverty; (ii) to ensure food security, food sovereignty and improve nutrition; and (iii) to promote economic growth and employment in rural areas, and thus across the nation. Five Programmes are established to pursue the strategic objectives: 1) Sustainable increase in production and productivity; 2) Improved market access and value addition; 3) Improved enabling environment; 4) Organizational development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; 5) Natural resources conservation and management.
Food security and sovereignty will be ensured and vulnerable groups will be supported. To improve food security, the capacity of communities will be strengthened and investments will be made in agriculture.
The Plan aims at making agriculture more productive and sustainable. Programme 1 is devoted to sustainable increase in agricultural production and productivity. Priority will be given to the sustainable use of water resources, to increase production and productivity. The production of food and horticultural crops will be boosted. Investments will be made on integrated crop-livestock-fisheries management practices, conservation and sustainable management of aquatic and marine resources and conservation of biodiversity in forest and coastal areas.
Investment will be made in agriculture to reduce poverty and create employment. Farmer cooperatives will be established to increase their involvement and participation in input supply, marketing outputs and other service delivery. Furthermore, farmers groups will be supported.
With a view to making agriculture more efficient and inclusive, measures are set out concerning technologies, decentralized extension services, agricultural research, improved pest control, mechanization and accelerated production of selected enterprises based on specialization and agro-zoning. Small producers will be empowered. Existing support services will be improved. In order to improve market access and value addition, priority will be given to safety standards and quality control, promotion of diversification and value addition and promotion of private sector engagement. In addition, private investments will be encouraged and supported. Agricultural statistics and climate information systems will be built and maintained to provide data for planning and management.
Programme 3 (Improved enabling environment) addresses climate information and analysis as well as early warning systems. Strategies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change will be enhanced.
The Ministerial Agriculture Advisory Council will be established to advise the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, who will support innovative partnerships with other ministries, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, for implementing the Plan.