The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) on Friday began the distribution of agricultural inputs to 120 Taraba wet season rice and cassava farmers.
Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku while flagging of the event in Jalingo, lauded VCDP for its various result oriented interventions in rice and cassava production, processing and marketing in the state.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Taraba Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Yusufu Gadi, Ishaku urged the beneficiaries to put the inputs to maximum use to turn around their fortunes and enhance food security.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Irimiya Musa, Taraba Programme Coordinator, explained that the distribution was to support cassava and rice farmers in the three new VCDP in Bali, Donga and Jalingo local government areas.
“No fewer than120 farmers were identified and validated by the national office in Abuja to benefit from the little outstanding balance of inputs earmarked for Taraba farmers in the 2022,” he said.
He appealed to the national office to increase the quantity of inputs for the state in subsequent allocations given the states vast agricultural potential for rice and cassava production.
According to him the programme, being funded by a tripartite arrangement of the federal government, IFAD and the participating states, is principally aimed at developing the value chain of rice and cassava for food security.
Musa noted that VCDP was working in Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun and Taraba states.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Taraba Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Yusufu Gadi, urged the benefitting farmers to use the inputs for the purpose intended.
He warned that government would not take it lightly with any farmer caught diverting or reselling the inputs.
Items distributed at the event included rice seeds, NPK fertiliser, agro-chemicals and urea fertiliser.
