Anambra State farmers have adjudged the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development, Value Chain Development Program, FGN/IFAD VCDP, as the best intervention programme so far.

 

The program, which financially kicked off in Anambra State in 2015 with three agrarian council areas, along the line was increased to eight participating council areas due to its outstanding performance in building beneficiaries’ capacity on best agronomic practices in Rice and Cassava through both local, national and international trainings.

According to them, the success stories recorded by the FGN IFAD VCDP, in areas of infrastructure, farm inputs, implements and networking among numerous others cannot be matched by the achievements of both past and present related programmes put together.

 

Testifying further, one of the beneficiaries of the recently disbursed Point Of Sale, POS, machines and a Cassava farmer, Mr. Ozoemena Okori, of Destiny Farmers Cooperative, Umuezehobi, Ihiala Council Area, who applauded Governor Soludo for his support to the program, assured their of their commitment towards reciprocating the gesture.

Recounting, other achievements recorded by the FGN IFAD VCDP in Anambra State, the state Program Coordinator, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha, said that in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s drive to enthrone healthy living for Ndi Anambra, especially farmers, the programme has included nutrition in it’s intervention programme, hence the distribution of over one point five million naira worth of different fruit seedlings to female farmers across the eight participating council areas to balance their family diet.

 

Among other numerous trainings that built Anambra State Farmers’ capacity, Mr. Agwuncha listed processing centers, completed Sola powered boreholes, markets infrastructure, constructed farm roads and information dissemination on climate change to complement state government’s enforcement of green zones to protect and preserve the ecosystem and biodiversity hotspots as some of their land mark achievements.

 

For the state Knowledge Management and Communication Officer, FGN IFAD VCDP, Mr. Henry Anagboso, before the arrival of the FGN IFAD VCDP, Anambra State Farmers recorded a maximum yield of two tons of Rice per a hectare and ten to fifteen tons per a hectare of Cassava farmer compared to the present seven to eight tons of Rice and twenty-five to thirty tons of Cassava per hectare.

 

Mr. Anagboso attributed the great feat to the numerous local, national and international capacity building workshops, organized for farmers by the FGN IFAD VCDP including the establishment of various demonstration farms for practical teachings.

 

Anambra State Farmers’ appealed to the state government to adopt the FGN IFAD VCDP model and replicate same across other intervention programs for desired results.

 

 

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