In a decisive move to alleviate poverty and to revolutionise the agriculture sector and boost food production, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has distributed 95 farm equipment worth million of naira to smallholder farmers, agro processors and marketers including persons with disability in Nasarawa State.
The minister of agriculture and food security, senator Abubakar Kyari, flagged off the distribution exercise in government house, Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
He explained that the project is aimed to improve food and nutrition security, increase income for rural households, boost agricultural resilience and strengthening the entire agricultural value chain, from input distribution to processing, storage, and market access.
Senator Kyari, however, explained that the VCDP is a deliberate policy of the federal government of Nigeria that is targeted at reducing the sufferings of farmers and stabilising food prices.
According to him, the FGN/IFAD-VCDP was one of the visions of President Bola Tinubu to amelierorate the sufferings of the people and farmers at the grassroots.
His words, “The VCDP target is to reach 135,000 farmers, but we’re so far dealing with 150,000, and we still have some more time before this programme actually lapses.
“This programme is one of those visions of Mr President in trying to alleviate the sufferings of the people and I know farmers are complaining of inputs, We are going to bring down the inputs. It’s going to be a deliberate effort.”
The minister appreciated the Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his efforts in making the state a hub for agriculture, adding that, “Nasarawa State ranks number one within the VCDP programme in collaboration and also coming up with counterpart agreements.”
He, then congratulated the beneficiaries and thanked them for keying into the programme and sued for the sustainability of the projects implemented in the state.
Earlier, Governor Sule appluaded the VCDP for its efforts in promoting agricultural development in the state.
Sule, while emphasizing the importance of focusing on the complete value chain in agriculture, maintained that, “We decided to support the VCDP for the fact that they are looking at the aspect of value chain. You know, in agriculture, because of the post-harvest wastages, it is very, very important to look at the complete value chain, and I think that is exactly what we are trying to practice today.”
He expressed his unwavering commitment of his administration in ensuring the sustainability of agricultural projects in the state, assuring that a strategy would be put in place to sustain the programme at its lifespan.
“By the grace of God, we are going to get somebody to take over that will do better than what we are doing.
“Nasarawa State continues to remain, as a state of agriculture, and that is the reason why, if we become number one in VCDP it’s not going to be a surprise because we want to continue to encourage our small-scale farmers in order for them to be independent, and I think they are doing so, and I want to congratulate our farmers for the wonderful thing that we are doing,” he stated.
Governor Sule expressed his gratitude to President Tinubu for his support and encouraged small-scale farmers to be independent.
On her part, the National Coordinator of the VCDP, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, disclosed that the programme has transformed smallholder farmers into employers of labour, impacting over 150,000 farmers and processors across nine states in Nigeria.
Dr Aliyu explained that, VCDP was unique in all projects as it deals with the value chain, from the beginning of production up to the table , adding that it also shows that smallholder farmers can be economically viable and smallholder farming was profitable.
She appreciated Governor Sule, for his support to the programme, saying, “He is a friend of the VCDP. We’ve been coming for supervision missions and the two times that we came for supervision mission, the Governor was gracious enough to welcome us and give us audience.”
According to her, the VCDP has recorded significant achievements, including the mobilisation of over 19 million naira by women farmers in Nasarawa State for their own activities.
She also stated that the programme has been recognised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), for its.
Umar Muhammed
Follow us on:
