IFAD, FG flag off wet season farming in Enugu

The International Fund for Agricultural Development -Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), on Friday flagged off wet season farming in Enugu and distributed inputs worth millions of Naira to 5,000 rural farmers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.

Some of the agric inputs distributed to farmers are NPK and Urea fertilizers, certified seed rice, cassava stem, sprayers, planters and selective and non-selective herbicides.

The beneficiaries of the programme are rural farmers from the five Council Areas of Aninri, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo and Udenu in Enugu State.

At the event, the National Programme Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Dr Fatima Aliyu, said she was impressed with the performance being recorded by VCDP farmers in Enugu State.

Aliyu, represented by the Programme’s National Human Resources Advisory, Mr Gidado Bello, said Enugu VCDP was one of the best performing states of the nine states benefitting from the IFAD-VCDP.

He lauded the Enugu State IFAD-VCDP Programme Coordinator, Dr Edward Isiwu, and his team for their effective, committed and purposeful leadership as well as for delivering the inputs on time and ahead of other states.

“We are in Abuja and we know how states perform and I am impressed with the presence of government officials, traditional rulers and farmers in this event.

“We have to support farmers in the state to ensure food sufficiency and security,” Aliyu said.

In his remark, Chairman of the event, Dr Godwin Aboyi, said the event was a unique day for farmers in Enugu and lauded IFAD, the Federal Government and Dr Isiwu for living up to expectations by supplying farmers with inputs.

Earlier in a welcome address, Isiwu noted that IFAD, since inception in the state in 2020, had always kicked off wet season farming by given farmers agro inputs.

He explained that the benefitting farmers represent farmers’ organisations that runs as cooperatives, adding that their new groups would be supported in next two years.

“By 2025, we will wean them and by God’s grace, we will extend the programme to accommodate others farmers.

“As we are flagging the wet season planting today, we are going to give beneficiaries business plan we prepared as well as inputs,” Isiwu said.

He added that by December, the farmers would produce enough rice and garri for Enugu residents.

Speaking also, the governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said 10,000 farmers had been empowered with agro-inputs since 2020. (NAN)