Tunisia - Support Project for the Inclusive and Sustainable Development of the Cereal Sector (PADIDFIC)

The Cereal Sector Inclusive and Sustainable Development Support Project (PADIDFIC) is the response to a request from the Tunisian Government to address the food crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It comes under the package allocated to Tunisia in 2023 in accordance with prudential credit ratios. In this context, and in order to strengthen the resilience of the cereals sector to external shocks and climate change, the project objective is to help improve food security and self-sufficiency through appropriate interventions on all segments of the cereal supply chain(upstream and downstream)to increase cereal production and productivity, rehabilitate and modernize storage capacities, support cereal rail transport, and secure supplies. PADIDFIC is consistent with the AEFPF pillars, the High5s,and the guidelines of Tunisia’s CSP2017-2023. Based on the Bank's comparative advantages, the project supplements the activities of PAUSAT Project approved in 2022 under the AEFPF and the projects financed by WB, EBRD, and EIB. The overall project cost is estimated at USD 117.5 million to be financed by an AfDB loan of USD 87.1 million over a 38-month period. PADIDFIC will support upstream production by providing farm advisory services, expanding rapeseed acreage in rotation with wheat, and training farmers and technicians.