The federal government today announced it was providing $8.1 million to a development project in Nicaragua, a project the government says will help boost food production by small-scale farmers.
Lord knows the Nicaraguans could use the help. In the Americas, only Haiti is a poorer country.
Diane Ablonczy, the minister of state of foreign affairs, made the announcement while in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.
The Canadian funds will be provided to the Government of Nicaragua which will allocated the money to its Productive Rural Development Sector Program (PRORURAL). The PRORURAL program has been a focus of the Nicaraguan government’s rural development program since 2006, the World Bank says.
In 2010-2011, Canada provided Nicaragua with $17.5 million worth of foreign aid.
Ablonczy is on a four-country tour of Latin and South America.