The World Bank will release 15 million dollars to support Guinea’s agriculture sector which was seriously affected by the Ebola epidemic, an official source said on Tuesday.

The National Service for Agricultural Statistics said that the support was part of the national agricultural investment plan that focused on all aspects of agriculture that include farming and livestock keeping. Part of the funds will also go towards protection of the environment.

In Guinea, 25 per cent of the land is arable, which is equivalent to 6.2 million hectares.

“No less than 30 per cent of this is effectively cultivated each year,’’ data from the National Service for Agricultural Statistics showed.

The country also enjoyed favourable weather conditions and has sufficient water resources that can be used in the agricultural sector.

In 2013, statistics showed that Guinea’s agriculture sector contributed 14.31 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product.

The sector also directly contributed to the improvement of the living conditions of most Guineans, since over 80 per cent of the populations depend on the agricultural sector.