Overall, the country programme has made good achievements on the ground over the past decade. IFAD support has contributed to increased levels of agricultural production, development of viable rural enterprises and job creation in rural areas. One of the most impressive elements of the portfolio performance is its high efficiency, especially with a consolidated project implementation unit responsible for all IFAD-funded projects and a high degree of ownership by the Government.

On the other hand, progress has been limited in value chain development, microfinance for small and microenterprises, and in setting up a clear strategy for phasing out heavy reliance on the credit line approach. Moreover, it is important for the next country strategic opportunities programme to reflect the Fund’s comparative advantages and its approach to rural poverty reduction within the evolving country and sectoral context more explicitly.