Awka, Nigeria – The Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), has trained 12 youth on fabrication of agriculturak equipment and maintenance in Anambra.
Dr Nonye Soludo, wife of Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra, said this at the distribution of starter packs to the youth on Wednesday in Awka.
The event also witnessed the distribution of agriculture implements and tricycle pick-ups to Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF) members.
Soludo said: “It is a great pleasure to be with you this morning to hand over starter packs to the 12 trained youths in agriculture equipment fabrication and maintenance.
“We will also use this occasion to distribute some agricultural processing machines to our rice and cassava women farmers.”
She said that the measure was aimed at boosting food production, enhancing processing and marketing of farm products.
The wife of the governor said that the programme would boost food production, enhance processing and improve marketing of farm products.
She said that the programme had recorded huge successes in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava since it started in the state.
According to her, the training of the youth was part of the state government’s “one youth, two scales” programme on agriculture.
She said the state government hopes to train 20 youth in the same programme in 2025.
Earlier, Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator, VCDP, said the programme was supporting 13,317 farmers in rice and cassava value chain in the state.
Aliyu, represented by Mr Bello Gidado, National Human Resource Officer, VCDP, commended the state government for counter funding the programme, saying that it was a huge success.
Dr Forster Ihejiofor, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, said that the training was requested by the state government and was approved by IFAD-VCDP.
“This training is a grant, and not part of the regular loan,” he said.
Mrs Uju Okafor, a beneficiary from Awka North Local Government Area, lauded VCDP, saying that rice production had increased in the state.
Okafor said that the programme developed a prototype to improve the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in the state.
She appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders to continue with the programme because of the successes it recorded across the country.
Farmers from eight of the 21 Local Government Areas in the state are beneficiaries of the VCDP.
