The federal government has distributed over N400 million worth of agro-inputs and equipment to rural farmers in Enugu.

The federal government made the donations in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP).

The items distributed included 13 tricycles, three small paddy rice steam parboilers, and five destoner.

Also donated were two rice hauliers, three solar dryers, 20 energy-efficient cooking stoves, 10 cassava fufu pounding machines, 10 nutrient-dense equipment and 59 digital weighing scales.

Other items include 50 POS equipment, 20 tablets, a palmtop, 10 personal protective equipment, 30 water pumps, 20 seed planters, and 50 knapsack sprayers.

There were also four power tillers, 10 solar-powered irrigation water pumps, five cassava harvesters, seven cassava peeling machines, seven cassava sieving machines and many others.

During the distribution, the national programme coordinator, IFAD-VCDP, Fatima Aliyu, said she was excited about what Enugu State was doing by supporting rural farmers through VCDP.

Ms Aliyu, represented by the programme’s National Human Resources Advisory, Gidado Bello, said VCDP Enugu had made remarkable achievements since 2022, adding that by its records, it was the fastest in achieving IFAD project in Nigeria.

She thanked Governor Peter Mbah for supporting VCDP in Enugu since he assumed office.

Mr Mbah commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and IFAD-VCDP for the synergy they had with Enugu.

The governor, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Sam Ugwu, said his administration had identified education and agriculture as critical sectors that needed huge investment.

He said that between 2023 and 2024, the state had witnessed much agro input distribution to farmers and appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs and equipment.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, said the input distribution was in fulfilment of Mr Mbah’s campaign promise to invest in agriculture.

A beneficiary and rice farmer, Chikodi Ilobuchi, said the items she received would help her to make cake and process her rice and cassava faster.

(NAN)