The Victims Support Fund (VSF) has empowered 3,000 peasant farmers with farming inputs to boost agricultural activities in Ngamboru Ngala and Gwoza Local Government Areas in Borno state.
Supervising the distribution exercise on Monday at Ngamboru town, in Ngamboru Ngala Local Government Area, the Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Nana Tanko, stated that empowering the farmers is critical to ensuring that the victims of insurgency have access to their farmlands, thereby ensuring food security in the state.
She explained that empowering the farmers is not merely an investment in agriculture, but it will also go a long way in solving the hunger problem, which is part of investing for the future of the country.
According to her, the 3,000 beneficiaries were strategically selected from peasant farmers in their various communities based on their agricultural productivity—1,800 from Ngamboru-Nagala LGA, while 1,200 were selected from Gwoza LGA, specifically Izge.
She clarified that each beneficiary received 25 kg of rice seed, 50 kg of fertilizer, 2 liters of insecticides, 1 liter of herbicide, 1 knapsack sprayer, among other items.
The DG further noted that agricultural extension workers have been trained by VSF in the two LGAs to guide the farmers on how to boost food production during the dry season farming.
“VSF is committed to addressing poverty in several ways, including through dry-season farming, as rainy-season farming is no longer sustainable in Borno state due to the negative effects of climate change. Therefore, there is a need for extensive irrigation farming.
“The intervention is part of the VSF 2023 project to support the Borno state agricultural initiative.
“Victims Support Fund has been working in the Northeast since 2014, providing succor to victims of insurgency in areas of peace-building, livelihood and recovery, construction, and education.
“When we went around the town, we discovered that it is a community that is adequately engaged in dry-season farming. So, they have no doubt that the items brought will add a lot of value to the farmers. You see, people have come back to their ancestral communities. This is the last major event to be implemented by VSF in Borno state, so it means a lot to the VSF.
“The Victims Support Fund, led by Gen. TY Danjuma, is committed to bringing succor to the victims of insurgency. Now we have distributed dry farming inputs in Ngala, where 1,800 beneficiaries received their farm inputs.
She urged the beneficiaries to use the inputs effectively to ensure they get the desired result at the end of the season.
Speaking, Borno Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, who flagged off the distribution exercise, said the items given to the farmers would enhance food production in the state.
He explained that Borno is an agrarian state, and farming is the backbone of the economy. The inputs would help the farmers not only for food production but also in strengthening the economy of the state.
Zulum was represented by the state Commissioner of Agriculture, Bawu Musami, who described the empowerment as timely and mentioned that it would go a long way in providing food in the state and the nation at large.
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“The Victims Support Fund has always been there for the state in times of need, and today they are here again to give full support to the farmers in the state.
“I urge you to make good use of the farm inputs given to you and make your communities have enough food.”
Some of the beneficiaries interviewed expressed gratitude to VSF for providing them with the dry-season farming inputs, saying they would use the items to boost food production in their communities.