The Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) have commenced the distribution of agro-inputs to farmers in some selected states in the country.
During the flag-off on Thursday in Kogi State, 560 Kogi farmers (197 male, 363 female) benefitted from the distribution of the inputs, while 398 farmers (183 male and 215 female) benefited in Niger State,
Recall that in early 2020, there was an outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic which affected the world and disrupted farming activities and food systems.
To cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on farmers, IFAD gave a grant tagged ‘Rural Poor Stimulus Facility’ (RPSF) to VCDP through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The grant is said to be for vulnerable farmers in VCDP states of Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Benue, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi to sustain production and help them recover more quickly from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the flag-off ceremony of distribution of rice production inputs to farmers under the IFAD Covid-19 pandemic RPSF grant, the acting National Program Coordinator of FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Program, Dr Fatima Aliyu, disclosed that 2,793 vulnerable farmers will receive agro-inputs to support their farming activities through RPSF programme.
She noted that the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) is a joint program of the Federal Government of Nigeria and IFAD and is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
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Dr Aliyu explained the project aims to improve the incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.
“A total of 602 farmers will receive these inputs free consisting of 40kg certified rice seeds, 2 litres of herbicides, 2 bags of NPK and 1 bag of Urea fertilizers in Kogi state.
“VCDP will also provide extension services to targeted farmers who will receive training on good practices in the application of fertilizers and agro-chemicals as well as farm management and climate-smart agriculture.
“To enhance transparency in the process, the Programme engaged International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) for the effective management of the input – supply, redemption and delivery in all the 9 States through the voucher input redemption system.
“We recognize and appreciate the support of IFAD in our quest to improve the livelihoods of our smallholder farmers and specifically to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agricultural sector, particularly for VCDP farmers”, she added