Madagascar - Preparation Activities of the Nascent Rural Businesses Project for the Middle-West (PROJERMO)

The present project focuses on the implementation of the preparatory activities of the Rural Junior Enterprise Project in the Middle East (PROJERMO), the implementation of which will contribute to the objectives of the joint initiative (African Union, AfDB, ECA and ILO) in favor of job creation for young people in Africa. The PROJERMO is an extension of the project Young Rural Entrepreneurs (PROJER), financed by the Bank from 2000 to 2007 in Madagascar. The POJER, it should be remembered, has made it possible, despite the difficulties of the beginning, significant achievements in the areas of intra-regional migration, the development of agricultural investment areas and support for business development rural. The PROJERMO aims to consolidate on the one hand the achievements of the PROJER and on the other hand to extend its interventions in other contiguous regions. The project will support the evolution towards an agriculture that better meets the needs and demands of the domestic market, the agri-food industry and external markets. The preparatory activities that are the subject of this PPF support are mainly focused on carrying out technical studies on structural improvements and investments as well as on the environmental and social impacts necessary for the proper formulation of the project. Thus, the interventions to be carried out as part of this support concern preliminary and detailed pre-project studies of hydro-agricultural development and rehabilitation works (tracks, buildings, etc.). These studies as well as the related DAOs will enable the start of activities in the field as soon as the project team is set up. In all, this preparatory phase of PROJERMO should result in the formulation of a good quality project at the entrance scheduled to be presented to the Bank's Board in 2014.