5th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance

24 to 25 November 2016. Dakar, Senegal. 5th World Congress on Agricultural and Rural Finance.

This event was organised by The African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA) in collaboration with sister Rural and Agricultural Credit Associations (RACAs) around the World, namely; The International Confederation of Agricultural Credit (CICA), Near East North Africa Regional Agricultural Credit Association (NENARACA), Asia and Pacific Regional Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA) and The Latin American Association of Development Financial Institutions (ALIDE), are organizing the 5th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance.

The world congress, which is being organized every three years, was last held in Paris, France from 26 to 28 September 2013. The forum brought together who is who in rural and agricultural finance and stakeholders around the globe to share experiences on emerging and cross cutting issues on the industry.

One of the key objectives of the upcoming world congress was to show case best practices and innovations in rural and agricultural finance space world over. See also the concept note

• The forum provided a platform to share core and complimentary competencies on best practices, innovations and promotes international and interregional cooperation.
• In the context of rapid demographic growth and climate change and in order to key-in to attaining the objectives the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential to improve rural and agricultural aimed at boosting agricultural production to meet a growing consumption demand. 
• Agricultural and rural finance institutions are major stakeholders in these challenges as they continuously innovate in order to provide rural people with the most appropriate and suitable financial services that take into account their existing needs and anticipate the change to come.

Extracts of the programme:

Agricultural Innovations and Technologies in Agricultural and Rural Finance

This panel discussed the role of new techniques and technologies in the development of agricultural and rural finance.

• Mr Tarik Sijilmassi, Chairman Credit Agricole du Maroc
• Mr.Massimo Pera FAO, Rome, Italy
• Mrs. Corinne Riquet- Bamba CGAP Financial Sector Specialist, Inclusive Markets (based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire)
• Dr. Sirajul Islam, Programme Head, BRAC, Bangladesh
• Mrs. Mbengue Rokhaya Solange Director RSE, Orange Sénégal. 
• Mr. Robert H. Masumbuko Director of Financial Inclusion Afican Development Bank (AFDB)

What is the future of Farmers, Producers and Organizations (FPO) ? Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies.

This panel discussed of family farming, its opportunities for development and inclusion in economic channels, but also its constraints and limitations.

• M. Xavier Beulin, Chairman of Avril Group, President of FNSEA (France). Agricultural industries in the North and in the South, experiences of an agro-industrial group.
• Cheikh Mouhamady Cissokho, Chairman, Réseau des organisations paysannes et de productuers de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)
• Shri G.R. Chinthala, Chief General Manager, National Bank for AGriculture and Rural Development (NABARD); India
• Luis Alberto Ibrra, Director General, Fondo de Capitalization e inversion del Sector Rural (FOCIR), Mexico
• Mr. Alain Gagnon, Chairman DesJardins International, France

Risk Management in Agricultural Financing : Best Practices and ChallengesThe panel was dedicated to the risk management in the agricultural sector, that remains difficult to manage compared to other economic sectors, (impacts of drought, inundations, frost, hail, volatile markets).

• Mrs. Sylvie De Serres, Executive Director and Administrator of Financière agricole du Québec,
  
  Canada. The agricultural insurance system in Canada.
• Mr. Nipath Kuasakul, Executive Vice President, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative (BAAC), Thailand
• Mr. Aliyu Abdulhameed, Managing Director Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending( Nirsal), Nigeria
• Mrs. Marie Sennequier, Africa Project leader, responsible for Private Sector AFD, Paris France
• Mr. Vincente Caruz Middleton, President Desarolloy Redes , Chile
• Carlos Ginocchio, Development Manager, Banco Agropecuario – AGROBANCO, Peru