Peanuts to the rescue - 4th March 2022

Peanut farming is saving lives in Paoua in the Central African Republic, but the farmers are having a difficult time feeding their families. There was a civil war in 2013. Today, there is still conflict in the northwest of the country, where Paoua is situated.

Farmers have problems getting their peanuts to the major markets because of the conflict. There are thieves and dangerous groups along the route.

Here is Jean-Paul Ndopaye, a peanut store manager, talking about these difficulties.

Jean-Paul Ndopaye: "What is preventing us from developing further peanut farming in Paoua is insecurity. When we want to send our goods to Bangui, to Berberati or even to Bouar, we might run into road bandits."

Farmers often have to sell their peanuts at very low prices if they can't get to the markets. One farmer, Célestine Inforo explains the difficulties of the situation.

Célestine Inforo: "This year, with the insecurity, there have been too many threats and thefts. We had to sell the production very quickly and at low prices. Now, there is a shortage of seeds to replant."

One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic, is also facing a food crisis. The World Food Programme says that there are many deaths from malnutrition.

As it is challenging to safely transport the peanuts to markets, one solution is making peanut oil and pastes. However, this is mainly done by hand because they haven't got the necessary equipment.

Food security officer at Oxfam, Moussa Issoufou, believes it's essential to support the peanut farming business because it creates jobs and provides food.

Moussa Issoufou: "The transformation is still at an artisanal stage. We really must try to support the chain and the sector to develop this transformation, and try to create outlets for the flow problems, and create value in the chain of the peanut sector at the level of Paoua which constitutes a large pool of peanut production in the Central African Republic."

Although peanut farming helps, malnutrition is still a major problem.