The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the federal government has distributed N109 million worth of agro equipment to 840 rural farmers in Enugu State.

The exercise, which took place at the Michael Okpara Square, on Friday, was part of IFAD/FGN’s-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).

The items distributed included 500 bags of fertilisers, 10 tricycles, 55 water pumps, 115 knapsack sprayers, five fufu pounder, 50 seed planters and five rice milling machines.

Others were five haulers and polishing machines, 10 grater cassava polishing machines, 20 rice harvesters and 25 starter packs for confectioneries.

Also, 40 of the 840 farmers supported were empowered with POS.

In a speech at the event, Governor Peter Mbah expressed his administration’s readiness to support the IFAD/FGN programme in the state.

Mr Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, thanked IFAD/FGN for the partnership with the state.

He commended the organisation for its commitment in assisting farmers through its programmes aimed at increasing food production in the state.

He further lauded IFAD for focusing largely on women empowerment, saying that the approach would help to reduce poverty in rural communities.

He directed that all the equipment, which must be given to the farmers, should be closely monitored.

He urged the beneficiaries to put the items to proper use in order to realise the set goals of the empowerment programme.

In a speech, the National Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Fatima Aliyu, thanked Governor Mbah for paying off the outstanding four years arrears of the counterpart funds.

Mrs Aliyu described the governor’s gesture as a testament of the state government’s commitment toward the development of agriculture and poverty reduction in Enugu.

She advocated the judicious use of the equipment by the beneficiaries, urging them not to disappoint the state government that had immensely supported the programme.

“Please don’t disappoint your governor, he cares for you.

“That is why he paid all the outstanding counterpart funding. Please, use them well,” Mrs Aliyu said.

She said that the VCDP had made progress from support to market values.

She further said that the programme had supported over 4,000 farmers, constructed rice and cassava processing centres.

Other amenities, according to her, included water, solar-powered boreholes, market stalls, mini bridges, culverts for easy transportation for farmers and offtakers and creches.

Mrs Aliyu disclosed that the organisation had also used a programme, tagged, “Gender Action Learning System” to change the mindset of women in the state.

“We have made impact and we are achieving our programme development goals in Enugu State and elsewhere,” she said.

Earlier in a welcome address, the State Programme Coordinator, Edward Isiwu, said that the VCDP programme was tailored along market development and productivity enhancement, rice and cassava value chains.

According to him, the programme is aimed at reducing rural poverty, increasing food security, and accelerating economic growth on a sustainable basis.

Mr Isiwu said that they had built five cassava mills and over six rice mills and created employment for people.

He disclosed that the pilot programme was being implemented in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Aninri, Udenu, Enugu East, Nkanu East and Isi-Uzo.

In an interview, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mike Ogbuekwe, said that the event was different from others because emphasis was on processing of agro products.

“We have been producing and connecting our farmers agro-allied products so that we have raw materials that we need for all our industries sourced locally in order to grow the state economy,” Mr Ogbuekwe said.

He also said that the State Government had put measures in place to mitigate against flooding by acquiring and clearing thousands of hectares of lands in the upland areas.

“Flooding happens in lowland and riverine areas.

“We can start focusing our farming activities on the upland areas and we know that whatever we are farming in the lowland areas would be planted and harvested before flood sets in,” he said.

The Chairman, Isi-Uzo LGA, Obiora Obeagu, said he would ensure that the beneficiaries in his area put the inputs to proper use.

A beneficiary, Casmir Odo, who got a tricycle, thanked the state government and VCDP for the gesture.

Mr Odo advised other beneficiaries not to sell the equipment given to them but use them for the purpose they were meant.

(NAN)