diff --git a/swh/lister/cran/lister.py b/swh/lister/cran/lister.py
--- a/swh/lister/cran/lister.py
+++ b/swh/lister/cran/lister.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import pkg_resources
+from collections import defaultdict
 
 from swh.lister.cran.models import CRANModel
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
     MODEL = CRANModel
     LISTER_NAME = 'cran'
     instance = 'cran'
+    descriptions = defaultdict(dict)
 
     def task_dict(self, origin_type, origin_url, **kwargs):
         """Return task format dict
@@ -26,7 +28,8 @@
         """
         return create_task_dict(
             'load-%s' % origin_type, 'recurring',
-            kwargs.get('name'), origin_url, kwargs.get('version'))
+            kwargs.get('name'), origin_url, kwargs.get('version'),
+            project_metadata=self.descriptions[kwargs.get('name')])
 
     def r_script_request(self):
         """Runs R script which uses inbuilt API to return a json
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@
         """Transform from repository representation to model
 
         """
+        self.descriptions[repo["Package"]] = repo['Description']
         project_url = 'https://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib' \
                       '/%(Package)s_%(Version)s.tar.gz' % repo
         return {
diff --git a/swh/lister/cran/tests/test_lister.py b/swh/lister/cran/tests/test_lister.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/lister/cran/tests/test_lister.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from unittest.mock import patch
+from swh.lister.cran.lister import CRANLister
+
+
+def test_task_dict():
+    lister = CRANLister()
+    lister.descriptions['test_pack'] = 'Test Description'
+    with patch('swh.lister.cran.lister.create_task_dict') as mock_create_tasks:
+        lister.task_dict(origin_type='cran', origin_url='https://abc',
+                         name='test_pack')
+    mock_create_tasks.assert_called_once_with(
+        'load-cran', 'recurring', 'test_pack', 'https://abc', None,
+        project_metadata='Test Description')