IFAD to support farmers for 2017 farming season

THE International Fund for Agricultural Development assisted Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), has pledged to assist farmers across the country in providing inputs, implements as well as preparing the land.

Dr Ameh Onoja, the fund’s National Programme Coordinator, made this pledge in Minna on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“We will support farmers in the area of farm inputs, implements and land development, as we have concluded arrangements for this farming season,’’ he said.

Onoja, who was represented by Dr Victor Unamma, the Agriculture Production Advisor of the programme, said that the VCDP would subsidise the cost of farmers’ inputs 50 per cent while farmers would pay the balance.

He said that the inputs include, improved rice varieties such as faro 44, faro 52, faro 57, cassava cuttings varieties such as TME 419 and 4(2).

The coordinator listed other inputs such as fertiliser: urea fertiliser for rice and NPK MGO for cassava.

He said that the programme would support farmers with appropriate herbicides such as non-selective and selective herbicides.

Onoja said that the programme would pay 50 per cent cost of the land preparation including, plowing, harrowing and ridging while farmers would cater for the balance of 50 per cent.

He said that the VCDP would pay 70 per cent of the cost of small scale farm processing machines such as threshers and others while the farmers would pay the balance of 30 per cent.

The coordinator said that the programme would shoulder 90 per cent cost of land development, including thorough land clearing for cultivation with access roads.

He said that the land to be developed must not be less than 10 hectares and must be available to the farmers for a maximum of 10 years.

NAN reports that six states: Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba are participating in the five-year programme that began in February 2015.

NAN also reports that the Federal Government/IFAD assisted VCDP is a donor agency project that targets poor rural households engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava.

The programmes is aimed at enhancing small-holder productivity and thus increasing the volume and quality of marketable produce by strengthening farmers’ organisations, as well as supporting small-holder production.