Nasarawa dry season rice farmers laud FG-VCDP over bumper harvest
Nasarawa dry season rice farmers laud FG-VCDP over bumper harvest
Dry season rice farmers in Nasarawa State have commended the Federal Government, International Fund for Agricultural Development -Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP) for boosting food security in the state.
The farmers gave the commendation during a field visit of the VCDP team and stakeholders to Doma Local Government area of Nasarawa state on Thursday.
They said that the intervention had changed their means of livelihood.
Mr Sanusi Abubakar, Leader of the Alekwuole-Eseoga farmer group in Doma, said that VCDP introduced them to modern agronomic practices.
He said that they were also provided with improved seeds and inputs such as fertilizer, power tillers and water pumping machines.
“In the past, we usually harvested about 10 bags of rice from one hectare of farmland.
“However, with the training on best agronomic practices and other interventions from VCDP, we now get about 50 bags of rice paddy from the same portion of farm,” he said.
Abubakar appreciated VCDP for the gesture and appealed that it be extended to more farmers for an enhanced food security.
Mrs Victoria Ogoshi, the Leader of VCDP Women Network, corroborated Abubakar’s position on the impact of VCDP on their livelihood.
Ogoshi noted that aside from the improvement in rice production, the programme impacted the people in the entire value chain with interventions in processing and provision of aggregation centre for storage.
She, however, appealed for more women and youths to be supported by the programme.
Also, Mr Ahmed Aseneshi, Chairman of Doma Rice Farmer Cluster, appreciated VCDP for the construction of a rice aggregation centre and processors for the farmers.
Aseneshi said that the centre added value to their produce by enabling them to harness their rice in a particular location, creating an easy access for marketing.
“The aggregation centre also provided us with the opportunity to store our rice for a long time in order to sell at a profitable price,” he said.
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The chairman said that the programme trained them on how to run a cooperative society effectively, which had boosted their means of livelihood.
Dr Eunice Adgidzi, the State Programme Coordinator, FG/IFAD-VCDP, said the gesture was to boost the capacity of the rice farmers to produce more.
“Today, we brought stakeholders to see what we are doing. Yes, we interface with farmers regularly but it is not enough.
“For us to succeed, we need the stakeholders’ support, so this is an opportunity for them to see what we have been doing in the state.
“Here in Lower Benue phase 1 of Doma LGA, we have approximately eight to 10 hectares of rice farms being cultivated, and farmers in other locations doing the dry season farming.
“All is to ensure food security in the state. We also recently built a modern Rice Aggregation Centre inside Doma Market, to facilitate the collection and processing of rice in the area,” she said.
Adgidzi, who described food security as an important issue, called for more persons, especially the youths, to join in farming activities
“So that together, we will work towards tackling hunger in the state,” she said.
In his remarks, Mr Umaru Tanko-Tunga, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture, commended VCDP for supporting the dry season rice farmers.
He urged the benefiting farmer organisations not to relent in their quest for ensuring food sufficiency in the state.
Tanko-Tunga assured of the state government’s continued commitment to supporting FG/IFAD-VCDP and other agricultural interventions that would enhance food sufficiency and food security in the state.
