The Federal Government’s Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project, last Friday distributed farm inputs to farmers affected by flood in 2022 in Illushi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The items distributed included bags of improved rice seeds (Faro 44), fertilisers and agro chemicals .
The LIFE-ND Project is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Federal and State Governments.
During the distribution of the items, the Project Coordinator of the LIFE-ND in Edo, Mr. Jude Ekpu, said the flood was so devastating with the loss of crop farms.
Ekpu noted that the support was to cushion the effect suffered during the flood, adding that the intervention would enable farmers to go back to their farms and have better yields in 2023.
“IFAD has so graciously brought money to buy these items for the farmers to put them back in business and support their livelihood.
“It is a good thing that they can plant all year round, so they can now go back to the farm and start their production,” he said.
He, however, warned the farmers against selling the inputs and urged them to make judicious use of the items.
The beneficiaries thanked the federal and state governments for the kind gesture.
Mr. Patrick Okolo, a beneficiary and LIFE-ND Incubator at Ilushi, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, said: “After the flood, I was thinking all hope was lost.
“I never knew that the Federal Government and IFAD will come to our aid. This inputs will go a long way to help the beneficiaries and the community,” he said.
The Tide’s source reports that the project has so far trained about 1,033 women and youths and supported about 398 beneficiaries to begin their independent agribusiness enterprises in Edo.