The Global Environment
Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) has supported eight communities in the Obanliku local government area (LGA) of Cross River on improved methods of planting and preserving vegetables.
The programme also gave support to two women associations.
The eight communities are Ablesang, Utuhu, Busi, Bebi, Shikpeche, Buya, Amanga and Bishiri, while the women associations are Work with Faith Club and Women of Hope Association.
The beneficiaries were trained on Sustainable Land Management (SLM), including drip irrigation.
They were also trained in the use of solar dryers to dry vegetables and package them for local and international markets, among others.
Our correspondents  reports that over 50 farmers benefited directly from the project tagged, “Sustainable Resources Use through Improved Vegetable Technologies’’.
The project’s indirect beneficiaries are estimated to be over 540,000 people.
The indirect beneficiaries include transporters, middlemen, local tax collectors, and the communities which can buy vegetables throughout the year and at affordable prices.
The Vice-President of Rural Infrastructure Services for Under-Served Population (RISE-UP), Mr Niyi Adegun,  a non-governmental organisation (NGO), said the project has alleviated the suffering of the beneficiaries.
Adegun told the GEF-SGP team on a Monitoring and Evaluation exercise to Obudu that the project has helped to build the capability of the small scale farmers in those communities.
He said the project was an upgrade from the earlier one supported by GEF-SGP, where community dwellers were trained on the propagation of the vegetable popularly known as “Afang’’.
“The vegetable is fast disappearing because of unsustainable exploitation,’’ the NGO official said.
In his remarks, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Desk Officer at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Eguaoje Festus urged the beneficiaries to improve on their productivity.
“If you do more, you will get more assistance and even if the assistance is not coming forth again, you will be able to sustain what you have done.
“If you can produce enough to feed yourselves, then you have alleviated the greatest element of poverty, which is the shortage of food,’’ he said.
Earlier, GEF-SGP’s National Co-ordinator, Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, said the programme currently supports some NGOs to implement environmental initiatives in 22 states across the country.
“GEF-SGP is implementing over 113 projects in those 22 states,’’ she said.