BY: News Peddlers
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The International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) began
the distribution of agricultural inputs to Taraba wet season rice and cassava
farmers.
On Friday IFAD distributed
agricultural inputs to 120 farmers for this farming period.
Gov. Darius Ishaku of
Taraba, while inaugurating the event in Jalingo, lauded VCDP for its various result-oriented
interventions in rice and cassava production, processing and marketing in the
state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“The beneficiaries to
put the inputs to maximum use to turn around their fortunes and enhance food
security”, Mr Yusufu Gadi, Ishaku Permanent Secretary, Taraba Ministry of
Agriculture and Natural Resources said.
Mr Irimiya Musa,
Taraba Programme Coordinator, in his welcome address explained that the distribution
was to support cassava and rice farmers in the three new VCDP in Bali, Donga
and Jalingo local government areas.
“No fewer than 120
farmers were identified and validated by the national office in Abuja to
benefit from the little outstanding balance of inputs earmarked for Taraba
farmers in 2022.
“The national office should
increase the number of inputs for the state in subsequent allocations given the
state’s vast agricultural potential for rice and cassava production,” he said.
According to him, the
programme is principally aimed at developing the value chain of rice and
cassava for food security, which is why it is funded by a tripartite
arrangement of the federal government, IFAD and the participating states.
Musa confirms that VCDP
was working in Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu State, Kogi, Nassarawa State,
Niger, Ogun and Taraba.
Also, Mr Yusufu Gadi
urged the benefitting farmers to use the inputs for the purpose intended.
He warned the participants
that the government would not take it lightly with any farmer caught diverting
or reselling the inputs.
items distributed at
the event included rice seeds, NPK fertiliser, agro-chemicals and urea
fertiliser.
SOURCE: NAN