The Nation Newspaper

Tag: VCDP

  • IFAD extends projects to three states

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD ) has disclosed plans to extend the phase two of its Value Chain Development Project (VCDP).

    The programme, which is being implemented in six states, would be extended to three states.

    The IFAD West and Central Africa Regional Director, Lisandro Martins, made these disclosures during a visit to the Cassava Women Processing Center in Lokogoma in Wushishi local government area of Niger state.

    The Nation learnt the IFAD VCDO project, which started in 2015, should have ended in 2020.

    However, the Regional Director did not say how long the next phrase would last.

    “Because of the success we have seen in Niger state, we are planning the extension of the VCDP Project and we will be scaling it up to three additional states,” he stated.

    He confessed the visit to the rice and cassava value chain centres have given the organisation new ideas on how IFAD can support the government of Nigeria in moving the project forward.

    Martins said he was impressed on how enthusiastic the youths and women in the communities welcome the projects and tend to turn it into profit making business that would improve their lives.

    He gave the assurance of the Agency intervention to scale up the processing capacity of the facilities in all the VCDP processing centers to benefit more members of the communities.

    The IFAD Country Director, Nadine Dominique Gbossa said Niger state is the success story of IFAD, which is the reason why the Regional Director was in the state for the visit.

    She explained IFAD had succeeded in linking the producers with the off takers, a development, which she said had greatly improved the income of the farmers and processors.

    The Niger state Programme Coordinator, Dr. Mathew Ahmed disclosed 15,627 farmers in the state, which include 11,948 rice farmers and 3,679 cassava farmers, have benefitted from the programme.

    He added that in the rice production value chain, over 700 youths have been gainfully engaged while over 150 women from other communities go to Lokogoma to learn modern processing techniques and process their garri.

     

  • IFAD distributes N8.6m rice processing equipment to farmers

    IFAD distributes N8.6m rice processing equipment to farmers

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD ) – Value Chain Development Programme ( VCDP ) on Tuesday distributed rice processing equipment worth N8.6 million to five women farmers groups in Niger.

    The State Programme Coordinator ( SPC ), Dr. Mathew Ahmed, while distributing the equipment to the farmers in Minna on Tuesday, said the measure would go a long way in creating jobs.

    According to him, it will also ensure that local rice farmers produce the crop in line with international best practices.

    “We are here today to distribute rice processing machines to our farmers to enable them produce rice that will compete favourably with the foreign rice.

    “Many of the foreign rice we eat today in Nigeria are not better than our local rice because they are expired but our local rice is fresh.

    Read also: Edo, Delta, Cross River fish farmers get equipment

    “Some of the foreign rice we eat constitute health hazards, hence the need for VCDP to ensure food security,’’ he said.

    The equipment distributed included five rice de-stoners, 10 rice parboilers, and 46 manual sprayers.

    The coordinator said IFAD-VCDP would subsidise the cost of the equipment.

    He explained that the groups selected from the five participating local government areas in the VCDP applied for the equipment.

    The local governments include Bida, Wushishi, Kontagora, Shiroro and Katcha.

    He said that aside training the farmers in mechanised farming in the value chain, the programme also trained them in using first-bottom approach to parboil rice.

    “We are presently working with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ) to make sure that our farmers adhere to international best practices that will make their product accepted across the globe,’’ he said.

    He said that there were 13,000 farmers participating in rice and cassava value chain in the state.

    In her remarks, Dr Amina Bello, wife of the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello commended IFAD-VCDP, saying that it had added value to the state’s agriculture drive.

    She was represented by Mrs Kaltume Rufai, the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

    Bello urged the beneficiaries to utilise the equipment to ensure success of the programme.

    Responding on behalf of one of the beneficiary groups,  Hajiya Hadiza Yunusa, Chairman, Nufawamasu Gumi Rice Producers Association, Bida said that before the coming of IFAD-VCDP the colour of their rice was not attractive and contained impurities.

    Yunusa said that the VCDP had trained them on modern ways of cultivating, processing and marketing rice.

    “Now we sell our rice and cassava to other West African countries, our customers even book in advance,’’ Yunusa said.

    NAN

  • IFAD ready for 2017 farming season in Nigeria

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development assisted Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) said it has concluded arrangements for this year’s farming season in the six participating states across the country.

    Dr Ameh Onoja, its National Programme Coordinator, made this known on Friday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after a stakeholders meeting with farmers in Minna.

    “Our inputs and implements are ready for the participating farmers across the country. So we want to know whether the farmers are ready,’’ he said.

    Onoja, who was represented by Dr Unamma Victor, Agriculture Production Adviser of the programme, said that the VCDP would not support farmer groups without verifying their business plans for the year.

    He commended VCDP farmers in the state for successfully embracing the programme, adding, ‘‘we are happy with the farmers in Niger State, because we have seen the positive outcome’’.

    Similarly, Mr Jacob Olorunyomi, a VCDP consultant, said that there were 255 farmer organisations in the state with 5,238 members.

    Olorunyomi, who verifies the farmer’s business plans, said that the farmers comprising 4,212 male and 1,026 female would cultivate rice and cassava on 4,991 hectares of land.

    “The farmers are committed. From what we saw in the field, the VCDP farmers in Niger state can feed Nigeria with rice and cassava.

    “We also observed that many youths have taken to cultivation of rice and cassava, so they need encouragement,’’ he said.

    A typical cassava stems market

    Also speaking, Mr Isaac Yusuf, Chairman, Cassava Growers Union in Kontagora area of the state who spoke on behalf the farmers assured the programme that they were ready for cultivation.

    “We are ready; in the next six month the VCDP will get a positive result,’’ he said.

    Yusuf said that the programme has increased food production and improved the lives of participating farmers in the state.

    He appealed to the state government to fund the programme in order to ensure its sustainability.

    NAN reports that the six states of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba are participating in the five-year programme that commenced in Feb. 2015.

    NAN also reports that the Federal Government/IFAD assisted VCDP is a donor agency project that targets poor rural households engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava commodities.

    The programmes aimed at enhancing smallholder productivity– and thus increasing the volume and quality of marketable produce – by strengthening farmers’ organizations as well as supporting smallholder production.

  • IFAD spends $317m on 10 projects in Nigeria – FG

    IFAD spends $317m on 10 projects in Nigeria – FG

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD) has spent $317.6 million in financing over 10 projects in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.

    The government said that Nigeria’s contribution to IFAD’s resources had increased from $4.1 million in 2013 to $11.8 million in 2014.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, said this on Monday in Abuja at a sharing and learning workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) organized by IFAD for participating countries in West and Central Africa.

    Ahmed, who was represented by the Director, Rural Development, Mr. Olumuyiwa Azeez, said that Nigeria has been collaborating with the organization for over 30 years to increase access to finance by rural farmers.

    “Nigeria as a founding member of the IFAD has been collaborating with the body for over 30 years with IFAD financing over 10 projects in Nigeria for a total amount of US$317.6 million.

    “The Nigeria portfolio is one of the most important in the sub-Saharan Africa and globally. In addition, Nigeria has been contributing significantly to the replenishment of IFAD resources.

    “I am happy to learn that the level of disbursement of the Nigeria portfolio has improved significantly with increase of 187% from US$4.1 million in 2013 – 2014 to US$11.8 million during 2014.

    “The size of IFAD loans to Nigeria has continued to grow over the years and it has concluded country programme evaluation and would develop new country strategy for 2016/2020.

    “We are glad that the Fund will continue to work in partnership with Federal and state Governments in the adoption of market-led approach to drive inclusive growth for small holder farmers, women, youth and entrepreneur.”

    The permanent secretary pledged government’s commitment to its long standing relationship with IFAD and to the success of its programmes.

    Ahmed said IFAD financed 10 projects in the country which include; Community-Based Natural Resources Management Programme (CBNRMP) and Rural Finance Institutions Building Programme (RUFIN).

    Others are; Value Change Development Programme (VCDP), Climate Change Adaption and Agribusiness Support Programme among others.

    In his remarks, the Director, West and Central African Division, IFAD, Mr. Ides de Willebios, said, the workshop had brought together project teams from seven Anglophones African countries.

    He listed the participating countries as Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Uganda and Nigeria; and IFAD country teams, specialized consultants and representatives from Ministries of Agriculture.

    He said the workshop was part of a wider regional capacity building programme for management teams of IFAD supported projects and programmes.

    According to him, said there was a great deal to learn from the variety of country context, adding that building bonds among professional practitioners confronted with similar challenges was essential.

    The director said in the last annual performance reviews of the IFAD portfolio in the region, weaknesses in management, notably strategic planning and M&E was repeatedly identified.

    According to him, M&E is still not often used as a management tool to facilitate informed decision making and projects results are not systematically documented.

    He said the ultimate goal of the workshop was to improve the performance of programmes so as to enhance the likelihood of reaching development objectives and the expected impact on reducing rural poverty and agricultural development

    He expressed IFAD’s gratitude to the Government of Nigeria for its continuous commitment to a strong cooperation with IFAD and in particular to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its strong support.