News in brief: The Nigerian government and IFAD distributed farm inputs to 83 farmer groups in Nasarawa State to enhance food security and mitigate the impact of flooding. Distributed equipment and tools aimed at boosting farmers’ production capacity, particularly in rice and cassava value chains.
The federal government of Nigeria (FGN), in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has distributed farm inputs to 83 farmer groups in Nasarawa State.
In a statement to the press, the state coordinator of the FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Eunice Adgidzi, disclosed that the initiative is aimed at ensuring food security and cushioning the effect of flooding ravaging many states in the country.
She said the inputs is expected to boost the production capacities of farmers leading them to grow more food during the rainy season. According to her, the distributed items included 92 irrigation pumps, 40 solar-powered knapsack sprayers, eight tricycles, four power tillers. Other items were a set of improved stainless steel rice steam parboilers, and eight garri processing equipment made up of a grinding machine, communal fryer, hydraulic presser, and cassava chipping machine.
Further, Adgidzi expressed hope that the distribution exercise would contribute to an abundance of food during the dry season, which typically follows the rainy season. She stated that the intervention is in furtherance of government’s commitment to strengthening rice and cassava value chains and improving the livelyhoods of smallholder farmers growing them. The beneficiaries were selected from Local Government Areas of Lafia, Doma, Wamba, Nasarawa, and Karu.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Umar Dan’akano, represented by the Deputy Director, Agric and Engineering Services, Solomon Abundaga, called on the beneficiaries to use the inputs adequately. He also commended the FG and IFAD for initiating the programm and assured of the state government’s commitment in ensuring it is a success.
The commissioner further urged smallholder farmers to fully deploy the knowledge they had acquired from the VCDP over the years to surmount challenges that may arise. He said these challenges included unstable weather conditions, floods, pest infestation, bird invasion, among others.
Representatives of benefiting farmer groups thanked the FG and IFAD for supporting them with the farming inputs. They also assured of judicious use of distributed items.
