The World Bank-assisted Fadama III Additional Financing project said it has designed a N150 million agricultural development programme for Kogi under FADAMA III programme.
The project’s Task Team Leader, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, stated this in an interview with newsmen yesterday  in Lokoja during an assessment visit to the state.
He said that the programme was also designed to provide support to rural farmers across the value chains of cassava, rice, sorghum and horticulture.
The task team leader added that the programme was to rehabilitate access roads to the rural communities to facilitate market accessibility by the farmers.
He told newsmen that it was aimed at building new generations of business-oriented agro-entrepreneurs as well as giving farmers a new way of feeding their families and earning good incomes.
Oredipe said that the programme was also going on simultaneously in other states like Niger, Kano, Lagos, Anambra and Enugu.
He said some of the states had prepared their designs, while others were already launching their procurement processes, and expressed the hope that the programme will take-off by June.
According to him, the programme covers land preparation activities such ploughing, rigging and secondary level clearing, among others.
He said that the World Bank would provide N120 million while the state government is expected to pay the balance of N30 million as its counterpart contribution.
Oredipe, who stated that the project team was poised to tackle the challenges facing Kogi farmers, appealed to the state government to meet its counterpart obligations.
“We are appealing to the state government to support implementation of this critical programme by fulfilling its counterpart obligations.
“In the face of the prevailing economic hardship facing them, the state government should prioritise wealth and job creation programmes such as the Fadama III.
“ If the government is able to do this and make the needed resources available, together we can work to achieve the objectives set out in the project document,’’ he said.
The team leader identified clearing of virgin land, in adequate market as two of the major challenges facing farmers in the state.
Oredipe said that in view of some of the challenges facing the farmers in the state, the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) was designed to align with the programme.
“The cost of clearing land, especially in Kogi, is very high and is not covered by Fadama III Additional Financing project.
“We have discussed this with the government, and we are happy to report that the government has acquired new sets of equipment to assist farmers in this regard.
“The state Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, told the team that government had acquired at least 19 bulldozers, some tractors and other equipment to boost crop production in the state,’’ he said.
Oredipe said that the state agricultural project unit would further discuss with the state government, on how best to take advantage of the new equipment to help farmers with land clearing.
“The programme is also promoting the establishment of agricultural centres close to the farms where off-takers can easily access and pick up the produce.
“This will save the farmers the stress and loss associated with transporting their produce, over long distances, to the market.
“At the agricultural centres, facilities will be provided to assist farmers with initial processing of their produce to ensure convenience for the off-takers,’’ he said.