IFAD is ‘International Fund for Agriculture Development’ under UN with headquarters in Rome, Italy. It has a regional office at New Delhi headed by Mr. Marc de Sousa-Shields, Country Director. IFAD is taking up a Project in Mizoram through Government of India (Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs, South Block, New Delhi).
A plan for collaboration with Government of Mizoram was started through NLUP Implementing Board in 2017. The IFAD Design Mission team, then, visited Mizoram for a number of times, studied and surveyed the State and then chalked out formulation Plan (Draft Aide Memoire) which has been submitted to the Government of Mizoram. The Project is named ‘Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming System’ (FOCUS) . In order to implement this project, GoM established a society named Society for Climate Resilient Agriculture in Mizoram (SCRAM) under the Planning & Programme Implementation Department where the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Mizoram is the Chairman. There is no higher authority above the society. The main departments are Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Horticulture, AH & Veterinary, Land Resources, Soil & Water Conservation, Irrigation & Water Resorces, Commerce & Industries, Sericulture and Fisheries is designated as the line Department for implementation. Project implementation at field level is to be done by State Project Director (Secretary, P&PID) and the Project Director deputed by the Government of Mizoram. In Districts, the District Deputy Commissioners will be utilized, on dual charge basis, as District Project Manager.
There are 3 project components viz.
a) Market Access and Enterprise Development
* Market Infrastructure
* Enterprise Development
* Financial and Digital Ecosystem
b) Agricultural Productivity and Climate Resilience
* Agriculture Development
* Livestock Development
c) Project Management, Convergence and Knowledge Management
* Convergence and Project Management
* M&E and Knowledge Management
Selection of beneficiary/farmer:
* Existing Zau (Phai zau) farmers
* Creation of new Zau (Zo zau) farmers
* Livestock and Agriculture production of non-zau farmers
* No government servant to be allowed
State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) at State Level: It comprises of Project Director, Joint Project Directors, Human Resource Officer and a team of the Technical Officers deputed/ seconded by Government of Mizoram from Agriculture, Horticulture, AH & Vety and Soil & Water Conservation, Irrigation & Water Resources, Commerce & Industries, Sericulture, Fisheries
District Project Implementation Unit (DPIU) at District Level: This will be housed in the District Deputy Commissioner Office of all the Districts.
