Announcement of IDA Approves Credit for Technical Assistance to Mali on July 30, 1981

• , • l FO~ 1 l~~EDIATE. RELEAS~ · ·· eWorldBank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477 ~1234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 82/3 July 30, 1981 IDA APPROVES CREDIT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MALI The International Development Association (lDA), the concessional lending affiliate of the World Bank, has approved an SOR 5.5 million ($6.5 million) credit to Mali in support of a recently created rural development institution. Six internationally recruited experts will be eng=~ed to strengthen key services of the Office de Developpement lntegre des Produc- tions Arachidieres et Cerealieres (ODIPAC). The technical assistance project, with an estimated total cost of $11.4 million, a!ms at increasing the efficiency of agricultural production in Ma}i 's groundnut areas. The project will focus on retraining extension staff; improving seed production, distribution, and storage; and strengthening the credit and marketing system. It will also support the testing of crops other than groundnuts, to promote diversified farming, and support farmer • cooperatives as a means of managing village development activities • The project will receive a $2.5 million grant from the French aid agency Fonds d'Aide et de Cooperation. The IDA credit to Mali will be for 50 years, with 10 years of grace before repayments begin. The credit will be interest-free but will carry a 3/4 of 1% service charge to pay IDA's administrative costs. IDA has made five previous credits, totaling $52.8 million, for agricultural development in Mali. The credit will be committed when funds are available. NOTE: !DA credits are denominated :n Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) which are valued on the basis of a 11 bas~et 11 of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SOR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of negotiation of the credit . •