Over 560 rural farmers in Kogi state have benefitted from the distribution of free farm inputs supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the Value Chain Development Programme (IVCDP).
The national programme coordinator FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Dr Fatima Aliyu during the inauguration of the distribution of the input, said the gesture was to boost food security to cushion the damaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic on rural farmers.
According to her, VCDP is a joint programme of the federal government and IFAD, which is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
She noted that the aim of the project was to improve the incomes and food security of poor rural households, who engage in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.
“The grant is meant for vulnerable farmers in VCDP states of Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Benue, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi states to sustain production and help them recover more quickly from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A total of 560 farmers will receive these inputs free, consisting of 40kg certified rice seeds, 2 litres of herbicides, two bags of NPK fertiliser and one bag of Urea fertilisers in Kogi state,” she said.
Earlier, the state programme coordinator, Dr Stella Adejoh, expressed fulfillment over the exercise, urging the farmers not to play with their tomorrow by selling the input.
She said that the 560 rural farmers cut across the four rice producing local government areas of Lokoja, Ibaji, Ajaokuta and Kabba/Bunu, adding that the initiative was meant to reduce the pains brought on the people by the outbreak of the pandemic.
