The Value Chain Development Programme states that no fewer than 18,000 rice and cassava farmers in Ogun have benefited from its intervention.

The acting programme coordinator of VCDP, Abiola Sobunkola, disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection tour of project sites in Ijebu North East, Odeda, and Yewa North LGA.

The VCDP programme is an initiative of the federal government, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development in collaboration with the Ogun government and farmers’ organisations.

The initiative aims to support smallholder farmers in the rice and cassava value chains, enhancing their productivity to strengthen food security and promote economic growth.

Ms Sobunkola said the tour aimed to strengthen agricultural value chains across the state and was part of efforts to ensure that the facilities provided for farmers were properly maintained and used to their maximum potential.

She explained that the VCDP programme was designed to boost productivity in rice and cassava farming, while strengthening every aspect of their value chains.

Ms Sobunkola added that IFAD/VCDP support had drastically reduced farmers’ production costs and improved food supply.

The Chairman of Ijebu North East LGA, Foluso Badejo, described the programme as a huge blessing to his people. He commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for ensuring food security through such partnerships.

“The collaboration with VCDP has been very impactful, and we ensure that the facilities provided are put to good use,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries of the facilities in Ayetoro, Yewa North, Timothy Eweoba, a cassava farmer, said the intervention had ended the era of manual Garri processing.

“We used to process Garri manually, which was stressful and time-consuming, but with the factory provided by VCDP, our  processing capacity has greatly improved,” he said.