From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Farmers under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP-AF) in Kogi State, are celebrating a bumper dry season rice harvest.
The farmers, who cultivated rice on various hectares of farmland, appreciated Kogi VCDP for providing them with essential farm inputs, including improved rice seeds, fertilizers, harvesting equipment and capacity building training.
The farmers attributed their success to the support they received from the VCDP, which included training on good agronomic practices and provision of critical farm inputs.
Speaking to journalists at Magajiya Ijiho Cluster rice farmland at Ijiho community in Lokoja, some of the benefitting farmers thanked the Kogi VCDP for the intervention which they said, had increased their yield.
“The variety of improved rice seeds given to us with fertilizer and training, have greatly improved our yield.
“Our old seeds always take like five to six months before harvest, but now with the improved seeds, three months we are done” they said
.
In her remarks, Dr Fatima Aliyu, the National Coordinator IFAD-VCDP Abuja, who was on the field to witness the harvest, commended the farmers for making VCDP proud in Kogi.
Aliyu, who was represented by Vera Onyilo, the Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor to VCDP National Office, commended the State Government for prompt and timely payment of its counterparts fund.
“I am here on the field visit to monitor and capture the success stories of the dry season harvest of Kogi VCDP farmers.
“Usually, when we support the farmers, we also track and monitor them to be able to capture the success stories.
“Last year, we supported them with Agro inputs, such as fertilizer, improved rice seeds, agrochemicals, and good agronomic practices in terms of training.
“We are happy with what we are seeing here today on the field; we watched the farmers doing mechanical harvesting which was part of the things we supported them with, like the Reapers.
“Our support for them has helped them to be able to engage in rice farming both in wet and dry seasons with multiple yield.
“This bumper harvest, will in turn improve their livelihoods and help them to be able to send their children to school, built houses and invest the rest.
“Before the farmers used to harvest 1.5 Metric tons of rice per hectare, but it has greatly increased to an average of 5.5 metric tons per hectare, which shows that the support and results are visible.
Also speaking, Dr. Stella Adejoh, the IFAD-VCDP Kogi State Coordinator, commended the State Government for creating an enabling environment for the VCDP programme to thrive in the state.
She also praised Gov. Ahmed Ododo for the timely payment of the state’s counterpart fund, which has facilitated the programme’s implementation.
Dr Adejoh said the VCDP supported small-holders farmers with two to three hectares of farmland through farmers’ organizations with minimum of 10 members per group including women and youths in the five pilot local governments in the state.
“The VCDP’s intervention in Kogi State has not only improved the livelihoods of farmers but has also contributed to the country’s food security.
“The programme’s focus on rice and cassava value chains has empowered farmers to produce high-quality crops, using modern farming techniques and equipment,” she said.
Dr Adejoh disclosed that over 3,000 rice farmers have been supported, while overall total of 5,450 of both rice and cassava farmers, had been supported across the five benefiting local government areas of Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ibaji. Olamaboro and Kabba-Bunu.