Nasarawa: Farmers Benefit From FG's Intervention Plan

The Federal Government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development has empowered about 7,749 rice and cassava farmers in five Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.

Farmers from the five benefitting LGAs of Lafia, Doma, Wamba Karu and Nasarawa were given farm products and equipment through the Value Chain Development Programme.

Shortly after a media roundtable and visit to the VCDP project sites in Doma and Wamba LGAs of the state, the National Programme Coordinator of the FGN/IFAD VCDP, Fatima Aliyu said the 7,749 farmers were those who benefited from July 2020 when the programme kicked off in the state, to June 2022.

Represented by the Knowledge Management and Communications Advisor of the organisation, Vera Onyilo, Aliyu expressed gratitude to the Nasarawa State Government for also partnering with the FGN/IFAD VCDP.

She narrated that the programme, which is expected to end in June 2025, has been able to transform the lives of many farmers through the organisation’s numerous programmes which had encouraged bumper harvest in the state.

She added that the VCDP was initiated to improve cassava and rice value chain for small scale farmers in the state.

“The VCDP was initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

"Farmers in the state have commended the timely intervention of the programme, which has cushioned the adverse effect of food scarcity and improved their standard of living.

"The programme is basically to address cases of post-harvest losses, environmental degradation, limited access to productive assets and inputs, inadequate financial services and low productivity, among others."