By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
The International Fund for Agriculture Development – Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), has distributed tricycles to farmers, processors, and marketers in Kogi state, North Central Nigeria, aimed at improving farmers’ livelihoods and maximizing the agricultural productivity of farmers in the state.
The distribution of the tricycles was performed by Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Timothy Ojoma, at FGN/IFAD-VCDP office in Lokoja.
The commissioner commended the IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) intervention. Ojoma said at the event that the tricycles would facilitate easy transportation of farm produce to urban markets.
Ojoma advised the beneficiaries not to sell the tricycles but rather ensure regular maintenance of the equipment to be used on the farm to achieve the intended purposes of improving their well-being and reducing poverty.
Ojoma urged them to handle the tricycles with care by taking ownership of them for their own benefit to the benefit of their families and the state at large.
The agricultural commissioner commended IFAD for initiating the VCDP, which is a partnership between the State Government in empowering farmers in the state, assuring them of the Government’s continuous support.
Ojoma praised Gov. Yahaya Bello for keying into the VCDP and other Agricultural intervention Programmes in the state to improve the well-being of the people.
Earlier, the State Programme Coordinator IFAD-VCDP, Dr. Stella Adejoh, said the beneficiaries cut across the five local government areas where VCDP is operating at the moment.
According to her, the local government areas include Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Olamaboro, and Kabba/Bunu, adding that a total of 15 tricycles have so far been distributed.
She noted that the tricycles were not totally free, but the beneficiaries paid a matching grant of 30 percent of the total cost while the VCDP-AF paid the remaining 70 percent.
She stressed that the essence of the matching grant was for the beneficiaries to show seriousness, commitment, and ownership of the machines.
“Today we are distributing tricycles with trailers at back to smallholder farmers, processors, and marketers to convey their farm produce, processed products and also convey them to the markets for sale,” she said.
Dr Adejoh stressed that the gesture was part of IFAD-VCDP strategies to reduce hunger and starvation and improve the livelihoods of the people.
This, she said was noted during the recent food system summit in Italy where the Federal Government of Nigeria was fully represented with a commitment to leveraging on the successes of VCDP in the country.
The coordinator further stated that the distribution of the tricycles was perfectly in line with the global mindset of IFAD/ VCDP on how to help smallholder farmers, processors, and marketers under the VCDP Programme.
The SPC emphasized that the IFAD-VCDP is enhancing rice and cassava value chains for sustainable agricultural transformation.
She urged the beneficiaries to utilize the tricycles to improve their livelihood and the economy of the state, saying they would be properly monitored.
Dr. Adejoh thanked the Governor for giving the VCDP Programmes the necessary support and for creating the enabling environment for the program.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Zainab Musa from Lokoja, Celestine Ejuwe from Ibaji, and Lari Sule from Ajaokuta, all expressed their appreciation to VCDP and the Kogi Government for the gesture.
Mrs Musa, who is a widow with five children, said the gesture would have a great impact on improving her livelihood and the well-being of her family.
“My husband is late, but this gesture would enable me to feed my five children very well and train them in school,” Musa said.
On his part, Ejuwe said: “I am overwhelmed with this gesture from Kogi VCDP for finding my cluster worthy to get the tricycle.
“The tricycle will really help us in transporting our farm produce to the market from time to time”.
The beneficiaries all promised to use the tricycles for the intended purposes of achieving the IFAD-VCDP objectives of boosting the agricultural value chain and ensuring food security on a sustainable basis.
