One hundred and twenty million naira worth of farm inputs have been disbursed to three hundred and sixty-five farmer organizations across the eight VCDP participating Council Areas of the  Anambra state. Agric correspondent, Ebele Ezeh reports that the gesture, powered by the FG/IFAD VCDP is for the 2019 wet season farming.The benefitting council areas are, Ayamelum, Awka North, Anambra East and West, Orumba North and South, Ogbaru and Ihiala local government areas.The State Programme Coordinator, FG/IFAD VCDP, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha, accompanied on the monitoring exercise by a combined team  from IFAD VCDP coordinating office and some government functionaries, said the inputs are estimated to cover a total of one thousand, four hundred and thirty-eight hectares of rice and cassava farms.He urged the farmers to ensure appropriate and judicious use of the inputs to enable them have high yields.  

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, deployed to IFAD VCDP,  Honourable Obioma Mbanefo while making formal hand over of the inputs to the beneficiaries at the various council areas, urged them to show keen interest to ensure that government achieves food security. On his part, an Agro dealer for Awka North LGA, Mr. Emmanuel Obi, testified that the exercise has been smooth as farmer groups came up with their fifty percent cash counterpart for inputs redemption. Mr. Obi disclosed that so far, they have accommodated twenty farmers who are not financially buoyant for this season to the tune of eight hundred and seventy thousand naira each. He said they will redeem on harvest as contained in the MoU signed by the state Commodity Agricultural Forum, CAF, on financial linkage. For Ayamelum local government APEX group chairman, Mr. Peter Emeka, who commended the FG/IFAD-VCDP and the State government for the inputs support said the impact of the programme has indeed shown  in the yields made by farmers who advanced from three tons of rice per hectare to over eight tons per hectare. A female beneficiary, Mrs. Ngozi Osakwe, while expressing her joy over the support, applauded the State government and FG/IFAD VCDP.

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