By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced an estimated budget of N56 million for the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for 2021 farming season in Anambra state.

State Programme Coordinator, VCDP,  Mr Nnamdi Agwuncha made the disclosure at the flag-off and monitoring of the programme at Umunze in Orumba South and Achalla in Awka North Local Government Areas of the state which witnessed distribution of certified rice seeds, cassava stems, NPK and Urea fertilizer and agro chemicals such as herbicide and pesticides.

He said the annual programme was to ensure farmers get quality and improved agro input to help increase their agricultural production and yields.

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He said, “The monetary value for this year’s input distribution is estimated to about N56 million and our target is to make multiple of that amount at the end of this year’s farming season.

According to Agwuncha, IFAD-VCDP and the state government had constituted Farmers-Herders Conflict Resolution Committee to check all forms of invasion on farmlands to curb the atrocities of suspected herdsmen in the state.

Also speaking, Agricultural Production Adviser, IFAD, Dr Victor Onanma, who spoke on behalf of National Programme Coordinator IFAD-VCDP, Mr Garba Bala, urged the farmers to judiciously utilise the agricultural input distributed to boost their production and harvest.

Earlier, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Nnamdi Onukwuba expressed satisfaction with IFAD-VCDP intervention to rice and cassava farmers in the state, pledging continued support to drive its activities for farmers and other stakeholders’ benefits.