IFAD Targets Rice, Cassava Smallholder Farmers

Small farm owners en
gaged in the production of rice and cassava in Nigeria are to benefit from a N1.5 billion fund set aside by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
This was disclosed by the IFAD Country Portfolio Manager, Mrs. Atsoko Toda at the weekend in Lokoja during the opening of a two-day workshop on small farm holders’ productivity enhancement component.
The fund, according to the IFAD boss, would enable farmers access to fertilizers and agro-chemical as well as improved cuttings and certified rice seeds.
Toda explained that part of the money would be used to train the smallholder farmers on sustainable agricultural practices and production tenchiques.
Part of the training she said would focus on how to add value to rice and cassava production so as to enhance their in come, create wealth and jobs for the youths.
According to her, the programme tagged IFAD-Value Chain Development will go a long way to achieve food sufficiency for the country.
She said IFAD decided to focus on rice and cassava because of their capacity to quickly increase the total volume of food available to the people.
She added that processors would be encouraged to produce polished and stone-free so as to discourage Nigerians from going for imported rice.
The workshop she further added was organized to deliberate upon the arrival at a strategic framework for the implementation  of the component two of IFAD –VCDP.
The programme would be implemented in Anambra, Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Benue and Ebonyi, she revealed.

Women rice farmers on duty