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Agricultural stakeholders have pledged to enhance the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers engaged in the production, processing and marketing of cassava on a sustainable basis.
Consequently, stakeholders including governments, Development Partners, financial institutions, service providers, farmer organisations, off-takers and Civil Society Organisations recently pledged at the 2nd National Commodity Alliance Forum and Cassava Value Chain Investment Dialogue held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The dialogue organised by the Federal Government/ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) had the theme: ‘Enhancing Productivity and Market Opportunities for Cassava Value Chain Development.
The Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) is a six-year project of the Federal Government funded by IFAD. The project aims to improve incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis. VCDP operates in nine states of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, Niger, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa and Enugu.
Speaking during the programme, President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, commended the supports, contribution and partnerships of the international donors currently providing funding and technical supports to various agriculture and rural development programmes in Nigeria. According to him, “their interventions have significantly contributed to repositioning the sector as a viable business venture among our farmers and entrepreneurs.”
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Muazu Abdulkadir, disclosed that through the CAF arrangement, VCDP rice farmers now realise an average of 5.0MT/h and contribute over 60,000MT of rice and 200,000MT of cassava to the national food basket, representing over N12 Billion contribution to the Country’s GDP. He added that “based on the successes recorded through the CAF model, FMARD plans to upscale it to National CAF status covering all the 36 states in Nigeria.”
