Creation of a workshop for the maintenance and repair of agricultural equipment

The agricultural situation is very difficult in the commune of Tékane, which has approximately 20,000 inhabitants and is located in southern Mauritania. The numerous farming families lack access to even minimal mechanization and are often at a standstill during planting season.
Farmers are seeking a sustainable solution to be able to cultivate their land and be self-sufficient.

The creation of Agricultural Equipment Sharing Cooperatives (CUMAs) is a suitable way to provide families with the minimum mechanization necessary for the profitability of their farms at a lower individual cost. The Rivages NDiawane association launched a project in 2018 to create three CUMAs in the municipality, which have been operational since December 2020. The initial results of this project are positive, despite some organizational problems encountered by one of the CUMAs, which led to a reorganization of the management team. The commissioning of the CUMAs coincided with the start of the off-season planting season. Beneficiaries were able to carry out the necessary soil preparation work in a timely manner without having to face the recurring problems of finding and renting agricultural equipment. They were thus able to increase the cultivated area, averaging 150 hectares per CUMA.

The Rivages NDiawane association is now embarking on a complementary project: the creation of a workshop for the maintenance and repair of agricultural equipment. With equipment maintenance carried out locally, the farmers of Tékane hope that the project will be sustainable.