262 Farmers Get FGN/IFAD Agric Inputs In Anambra
The FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme has flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs to 262 vulnerable farmers across eight Local Government Areas of Anambra.
Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme performed the ceremony at Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra.
Aliyu was represented by Mr Felix Oibiokpa, Rural Infrastructure Engineer, Value Chain Development Programme.
She listed the benefiting local government areas to include: Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ihiala, Orumba South and Orumba South and Ogbaru.
Aliyu said the farmers comprising 198 females and 64 males would receive the inputs which was a grant from the Federal Government to help them cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She listed the inputs to include: 460 bags of 50kg NPK fertiliser, 230 bags of 50kg urea fertiliser, 8,500kg certified rice seed, 250 litres of herbicides and 250 litres of selective herbicides.
She explained that Value Chain was a project of FGN funded by IFAD and domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in early year 2020 which affected farming activities and food system, IFAD gave a grant tagged: ‘Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF)’ to Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
“The grant is meant to support vulnerable farmers in VCDP states of Enugu, Ogun, Ebonyi, Taraba, Anambra, Kogi, Benue, Niger and Nasarawa; to enhance food security and accelerate their recovery from the negative impact of the pandemic,” she said.
Aliyu said that the organisation in addition to the inputs would provide extension officers and hold more training for benefiting farmers on good agronomic practice among others.
Dr Foster Ihejiofor, Anambra Commissioner for Agriculture, thanked IFAD and the Federal Government for considering farmers in the state for the programme.
Ihejiofor , who stressed the importance of farming, urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs, noting that the aim of government was for them to help reduce prices of foodstuffs in the markets.
He advised them to adhere to instructions on the application of the chemicals, warning that “any chemical capable of killing anything alive has toxic effect which can harm human beings.”
Mrs Lebechi Nwancho, one of the beneficiaries thanked the Federal Government , IFAD and the state government for their thorough handling of the project, saying that they did not allow politicians to hijack it.
