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The Federal Government assisted, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), on Friday flagged off the distribution of input support for the 2022 dry season rice farming and starter pack for the Ruler Enterprises Model in Taraba.
Governor Darius Ishaku who was represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr David Ishaya expressed at the occasion that the IFAD support was coming to cushion the losses occasioned by some farmers due to flood in the wet season production.
Ishaku while commending IFAD at the international level for her plans to cushion the devastating effect of the recent flood in Nigeria, warned that the state government will not take it lightly with any farmer caught diverting or reselling the inputs.
“Our administration would continue to create the enabling environment for IFAD-VCDP to thrive and will continue to support genuine farmers in the State in its quest to put Taraba in its rightful place in the agriculture map of Nigeria.
“Let me appeal to benefitting farmers to use the input for the purpose intended because the government will not take it lightly with any farmer caught diverting or reselling the inputs.
“I commend the effort of VCDP- and the State government for the input support which has over the years enabled benefitting farmers to apply well-researched technologies that have transformed the rice and cassava farming in the state.
“This has brought increased income and improved standard of living for the farmers as well as food security to the State and larger society,” Ishaku expressed.
Earlier, the program state coordinator, Mr Irimiya Musa in his welcome address noted that IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD VCDP) was being implemented in the states, of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba, Enugu, Nasarawa and Kogi with the mandate of developing the value chains of cassava and rice.
According to him, the programme was being implemented in 8 LGAs of Ardo-Kola, Bali, Donga, Gassol, Jalingo, Karim Lamido, and Takum Wukari and the essence of the occasion was to support farmers in some of the participating LGAs to take advantage of the recent flood in the areas.
Irimiya also disclosed that the programme aside from the support in the areas of input and
infrastructure, it also builds the capacity of the women for making more incomes along the value chains of rice and cassava, hence the distribution of starter parks for another set of women trained in the production of nutrient-dense recipes (confectioneries- cassava/Rice cakes, chin-chin, etc) using rice and cassava.
The programme coordinator noted that the activities were in pursuance of the programme’s development objective, which is, to enhance on a sustainable basis, increase in incomes and food security of poor rural households to engage in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in the programme areas.
Meanwhile, the national program coordinator, Dr Fatima Aliyu represented by a staff of the federal ministry of agriculture and natural resources, Mrs Ibe Carol, encouraged farmers to use the input for the purpose intended for.
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