Good things are coming the way of rice farmers in Taraba State. Part of the support the are getting from the government and international agencies include training aimed at taking them away from traditional methods of farming. One of such trainings was held recently by he International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).
During the training, the farmers were has implored to modernise their farming practices.
For instance, the Head of the Knowledge Management Committee (KMC) of VCDP in Taraba, Mr. Dauda Marafa, emphasised that farmers should not be limited to ancient farming methods. Rather, he said they should redouble their efforts to boost productivity and guarantee food security.
VCDP is a six-year programme of the federal government funded by IFAD, aimed at improving the incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in the production, processing, and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.
With the pilot projects being implemented in six states—Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, Niger, and Taraba—the programme recorded significant success and subsequently received additional funding for expansion into three more states: Kogi, Nasarawa, and Enugu, making a total of nine participating states.
Speaking at the training, Marafa urged participants from Karim-Lamido, Donga, and Bali local government areas to leverage the opportunity.
He said, “VCDP has organised this learning visit for you to practically see how a dry-season rice farm is set up using the modern approach for better yield.”
The Rural Institutions, Gender, and Youth Mainstreaming Officer of VCDP, Mrs. Altine James, noted that if the processes are efficiently utilised, participants could elevate their roles to include becoming rice farm consultants, rice seed entrepreneurs, amongst others.
Taraba State is known for the production of maize, rice, sorghum, millet cassava and yam in commercial quantity. While topping the livestock sector through the large rearing of poultry, rabbit breeding, pig farming, cattle, sheep and goats.