Enugu State Government says it will support and sustain International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) and others to promote agriculture.
Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi disclosed this during IFAD-VCDP Commodity Fair for Value Chain Operators in Enugu on Sunday.
IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations working to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
The beneficiaries of the programme from the five LGAs of Aninri, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo and Udenu showcased their farm produce of cassava, rice, potato developed into various food chain.
Speaking at the event, Gov. Ugwuanyi said the state government would sustain IFAD-VCDP programme and others when completed with its own policies and replicate same in other areas.
According to him, the state government will continue to support international donors to improve agriculture in the state.
“There is need to learn what they taught us on new system of agriculture and continue when the project is ended.
“If they are doing 30 per cent, we increase it by 20 per cent on yearly basis until we are satisfied that we have farmers who can produce and ensure food security in Enugu.
“I believe Enugu state will do it, having seen how agriculture contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state,” he said.
Ugwuanyi, represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Matthew Idu, commended IFAD-VCDP for what they were doing in Enugu State.
He said “with this type of exhibition within two years in existence, the programme have come of age”.
The governor also disclosed that the government would organise the biggest agric expo where farmers in the state, assisted by international donor agencies, could showcase their farm produce.
He stated that what IFAD-VCDP had shown was a mini expo, compared to what the state would have in December.
“What we intend to have is macro expo that will offer farmers opportunity to showcase their products,” he said.
Earlier, the State Programme Coordinator of IFAD, Dr Edward Isiwu, said the fair was aimed at showcasing what they produced from the inputs given to them in 2021.
“In 2021, we gave the farmers in the 5 LGAs some agricultural commodities like Faro 44 specie of rice seeds and TME 419 specie of cassava stems to plant. We told them that after one year, they will come and show us what they have produced.
“This is inform of “Agric Show” and I am happy that they did not disappoint us but proud with what they produced.
“A lot of them were given rice seed but they came here with a lot of processed rice, some with cassava but they multiplied it into various value chains like chinchin and other confectionaries,” Isiwu said.
The coordinator noted IFAD had committed millions of naira in support of farmers in the state through provision of basic amenities and market infrastructure.
He explained that IFAD had built solar powered boreholes, rice processing mills, culverts, bridges, market stalls, market stores, developed hectares of land for farmers in all the 5 benefitting LGAs and water pumping machines and others running into millons of naira.
“I am proud of Enugu farmers because they did not waste or sell what we gave to them and we are eagerly waiting for when the state government will call us for the expo,” he said.
A beneficiary, Mrs Felicia Aneke from Udenu LGA, expressed appreciation to IFAD for the training and farm inputs given to them.
“Now we can farm what we eat and sell, they even taught us the nutritional values of the plants,” she said.
