Enugu farmers, Monday, expressed joy over the multi-million naira farm inputs distributed to them by the International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) and the Enugu State government.
Some of the farmers who spoke with THE WHISTLER said the support would aid their farming activities this wet season.
Louis Ugada is from Agbudu in Udi Local Government. He said he got fertilizers, agro-chemicals and improved cassava stems from the scheme.
According to him, “The scheme has helped me a lot. My prayer is for adequate rainfall. It is easy: just register with a cooperative society, and get profiled. Follow the procedures and the agro-assistance comes unhindered.”
Another beneficiary, Onyema Odo, from Urukpa-Ezimo, Udenu LGA, said, “I advise Ndi Enugu to key into this scheme. It is transparent, and among the best ways this government is promoting agriculture in the state. I have been benefiting, and I am happy.”
A lead farmer in Aninri LGA, Mr Ignatius Onyeabor, said, “We always receive inputs from the coordinator; we pledge to make good use of these wet season inputs given to us.”
The state government, in collaboration with IFAD, had weekend distributed bags of rice seeds, urea and NPK fertilisers, water pump with solar, herbicides of selective and non-selective, bundles of cassava stems, amongst others, to thousands of rural farmers in selected LGAs of the state to encourage their farming activities this wet season.
Gov Peter Mbah during the flag-off in Enugu announced that there had been a significant improvement in the agricultural sector since his administration came on board, noting that production had increased due to various interventions his administration had put in place “to ensure there is enough food for Enugu people”.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, the governor said the programme was made possible because the state paid counterpart funds to sustain VCDP in the state.
The VCDP is a joint initiative between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and IFAD aimed at enhancing incomes and food security for poor rural households involved in the cassava and rice value chain.
Gov Mbah commended the state Programme Coordinator IFAD/VCDP, Dr Edward Isiwu, for early distribution of the agro-inputs, adding that the state would soon launch bigger farm inputs distribution across various value chains in the state.
The National Programme Coordinator of the initiative, Dr Fatima Aliyu, during the flag-off, said giving inputs to farmers was the core activities of the programme in Nigeria.
She said that farmers constituted the first frontline stakeholders of the programme as they were the producers of raw materials and processors which downstream marketers use.
In her words, “They constitute the majority of our beneficiaries because the producers are the largest in number that we have among our beneficiaries, followed by processors and marketers.”
She expressed gratitude to the government of Enugu State for supporting the programme through the payment of counterpart funds.
The State Programme Coordinator IFAD/VCDP, Dr Edward Isiwu, explained that the agro-inputs would enable farmers to start production, adding that VCDP in Enugu spread across five local governments of Aninri, Udenu, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo and Enugu East.
He said, “With this flag-off, Enugu State has started the wet farming season and, as we are here, the agro-dealers have already taken some of these inputs to designated centres in these five LGAs to bring them closer to farmers.
“Enugu State as one of the nine states of VCDP in Nigeria is the only state that has done their flag-off for 2025. I thank our national coordinator for always approving my requests as well as Gov Mbah and Mr Ubru for their passion for development of agriculture in Enugu through support to farmers.”
It was gathered that under IFAD-VCDP, the profiled farmers in Enugu State are 8, 753 as at April 2025, and they were grouped into various farmer cooperatives of about 10 to 25 in each.
Isiwu said, “We have built over 86 boreholes from 2022 till date; 32 market stores; 34 market stalls across markets in five LGAs; 21 mini bridges; 67 tricycles distributed last season and we are going to do more this year.”
