The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) says it has created more than 11,000 permanent jobs through its agribusiness support initiatives.
Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator of VCDP, disclosed this at a media roundtable on Thursday in Abuja.
Aliyu said the programme had generated 11,890 permanent jobs, comprising 3,128 women, 2,710 men and 6,052 youths who now own various agribusiness ventures.
She noted that the intervention had helped reduce rural-urban migration, especially among young people, while also providing income-generating opportunities for vulnerable women and persons with disabilities.
“Our main objective at VCDP is to move smallholder farmers from subsistence to micro enterprises.
“Rice farmers benefiting from the project now produce five to six tonnes per hectare, while cassava farmers record about 30 tonnes per hectare.
“We also trained youth farmers on rice seed and cassava stem production. They now produce and sell rice seeds and cassava stems to communities.
“This has made many of them entrepreneurs, wealth creators and job creators across the benefiting states,” she said.
National Programme Coordinator, FG/IFAD-VCDP
Aliyu said VCDP attained the milestone through proper profiling of beneficiaries and strong engagement with government at all levels, religious and community leaders, as well as the media.
She added that the programme also prioritised continuous training of farmers on good agricultural practices, the introduction of dry season rice farming and value chain financing, among other interventions.
Aliyu highlighted insecurity, adverse effects of climate change, high input costs driven by inflation, and low literacy levels among farmers, which limit the adoption of innovative farming techniques; as the major challenges affecting the implementation of the VCDP project.
Also speaking, Mr Nura Lawal, Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, IFAD-VCDP, Abuja, said the Federal Government/IFAD project focuses on rice and cassava value chains in nine states.
He listed Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Enugu and Taraba as the beneficiary states.
According to him, the programme is designed to boost productivity, improve market access, enhance value addition and create jobs.
“VCDP has particular emphasis on empowering women and youth through training, improved infrastructure, climate-smart practices and stronger market linkages for better food security and income, ” he said.
In her remarks, Mrs Vera Onyilo, Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor, IFAD-VCDP, appreciated the media for giving visibility to the project since its inception in 2014.
