The Federal Government of Nigeria is collaborating with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to give support to farmers in Ebonyi state to enhance food production during the ongoing dry season. The support comes under the FG/IFAD -assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP). 150 farmers from the state have been selected for the support. The exercise is part of the programme of the federal government designed to tackle the challenge of food insecurity head on. Farmers from over 26 other states of the federation and the federal capital territory have been given support for the production of different types of food crops produced in their environment.
Mr. Sunday Ituma, the IFAD-VCDP State Programme Coordinator, made the disclosure while flagging off the 2023/24 dry season farming at Odomowo, Inyimegu in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.
Ituma said that the flag-off was one of the programmes 2023 activities brought forward to 2024 and it afforded dignitaries present to see its dry season cluster at Ikwo.
The benefiting 150 farmers are expected to cultivate 150 hectares of land. IFAD-VCDP will support the benefiting groups and individuals within the groups with four bags of NPK and two bags of urea fertilizers.
They will also be supported with two litres of herbicides (selective and non-selective) alongside capacity building in dry season farming, he said.
He disclosed that the programme has provided 10 sets of solar-powered irrigation pumps to check the problems encountered in providing petrol for water pumps.
According to him, The water pumps have been confirmed functional and we are expecting technical experts who will fabricate free-energy water pumps to draw water from the river.
Ituma thanked Gov. Francis Nwifuru for providing the enabling environment for IFAD to thrive, especially with the payment of the state governments N100 million counterpart fund in 2023.
DRY SEASON FARMING: 150 EBONYI FARMERS RECEIVE SUPPORT
