Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with the IFAD Design Team to review and refine the implementation plan for FOCUS 2.0—a major rural development initiative aimed at covering 700 villages across 26 RD blocks in 11 districts of the state.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister called for strategic improvements in the proposed initiatives, underlining the importance of convergence with existing government schemes to maximize reach and impact. He also emphasized the need for inter-departmental coordination and encouraged the adoption of innovative approaches to ensure the program’s success.
Highlighting the achievements of the first phase of the project, Piyush Kanal, Country Programme Analyst, IFAD & ICO, shared that between 2019 and 2024, the FOCUS project had already reached 272 villages and positively impacted around 55,000 rural households. Among these, 41,888 households had adopted climate-resilient agricultural practices owing to the project’s interventions.
Mission Director and Agri-Business Expert Alessandra Cage outlined the new phase’s focus on expanding market access, supporting rural entrepreneurship, and strengthening agricultural value chains. A key priority of FOCUS 2.0, she said, would be to promote climate-resilient farming practices, particularly among local farmers and the youth.
The IFAD delegation was joined by Lalengzami, Additional Director of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and State Project Director for FOCUS, along with other senior project officials.
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