From Godwin Agia, Jalingo

To improve food security and to cushion the effects of hunger currently ravaging many states in the country, the Federal Government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has distributed farming inputs to 551 farmers in Taraba State.

Speaking at the distribution exercise in Jalingo, on Friday, the State Programme Coordinator of the FG-IFAD and VCDP Value Chain Development Programme, Mr Irimiya Musa, said the gesture was also aimed at ensuring that farmers across the benefiting local government areas are able to boost their capacities and cultivate enough food for residents of the State during the raining season.

“I am privileged to welcome you to this occasion of the flag-off ceremony for 2023 Wet-Season Inputs Support and Distribution of Rice and Cassava Production in respect of IFAD-VCDP farmers, IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) as we may be aware, has 9 participating states, namely; Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba, Enugu, Nasarawa and Kogi with the mandate of developing the value chains of cassava and rice.


“In Taraba State, the programme is working in 8 LGAs- Ardo-kola, Bali, Donga, Gassol, Jalingo, Karim Lamido, Takum and Wukari.

“The essence of today’s occasion is to support our farmers with full complement of Agro-Inputs for wet season production in Rice and Cassava, which are the programmes’ mandate crops.

“Farmers would be supported with inputs for 1 or 2 hectares in consonance to their submitted and approved business plans.

“However, the benefitting farmers will pay 50% of the total cost of the inputs allocated while the Programme pay the balance of 50% known as Matching Grant Model, 8 total of 551 farmers are to be supported across the 8 participating LGAS.

“This is but one of the activities such as capacity building, provision of infrastructural facilities carried out by the programme in pursuant to the programmes’ development objective, which is, to enhance on a sustainable basis the increase in incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in the programme areas”. Ibrahim submitted.

In his remarks, Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and food security, Prof. Nicholas Oliver Namesan, called on the beneficiaries to utilize the inputs to achieve the best results and commended the FG and IFAD for initiating the programme.

Prof. Nemesan assured of the state Government’s commitment to continue to give the needed support to FG-IFAD and VCDP to ensure the success of the programme in the State.

Some of the farmers who spoke on behalf of the others, Hajiya Adama Abubakar And Nemsiu Bako, thanked the FG and IFAD for supporting them with the farming inputs and promised to use the items judiciously.