The International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) and the Federal Government have distributed agricultural equip
By Alex Enebeli
The International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) and the Federal Government have distributed agricultural equipment worth millions of naira to 458 rural farmers in Enugu State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries were drawn from Aninri, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo and Udenu Local Government Areas, where IFAD-VCDP is intervening in rice and cassava production, processing and marketing.
Items distributed included 38 tricycles, three paddy rice steam parboilers, 15 rice destoners, 50 energy-saving stoves, 10 rice threshers, 50 knapsack sprayers, 20 seed planters, 20 water pumps and 50 point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Others were 50 digital weighing scales, six power tillers, 10 cassava pounding machines, seven cassava peeling machines, three rice milling machines, three solar dryers and five specialised rice reapers, among others.
Gov. Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, said agriculture remained a priority of his administration, citing payment of counterpart funds to donors including IFAD.
He said the equipment would aid processing, transportation, packaging and marketing of produce to boost farmers’ income.
“In Enugu State, we do not just produce but also add value to agricultural products to the point of export. These interventions are to make agriculture attractive and mechanised and to ensure no one goes hungry,” he said.
The governor urged beneficiaries to use the equipment judiciously and seek technical support from VCDP when necessary.
The National Programme Coordinator of VCDP, Dr Fatima Aliyu, represented by the Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Advisor, Mr Musa Dalang, commended Mbah for releasing counterpart funds which enabled the intervention.
She said the project had transformed livelihoods of rural farmers across Nigeria, turning many into successful entrepreneurs.
Aliyu urged beneficiaries to be ambassadors of the programme in their communities.
The State Programme Coordinator, Dr Edward Isiwu, explained that farmers contributed 30 per cent of the cost of the equipment, adding that beneficiaries would be monitored to ensure proper use.
He said the programme had supported over 9,000 farmers in Enugu since 2020 with inputs and equipment for cassava and rice value chains.
According to him, the intervention has improved food and nutrition security, created jobs, enhanced market linkages and reduced post-harvest losses.
A beneficiary, Mr Emmanuel Odoh, a rice farmer, said the tricycle he received would ease transportation of his produce to markets and increase his earnings. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)