The Ogun State government says its Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has directly impacted 17,264 beneficiaries from eight local government areas.

Bolu Owotomo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, stated this on Tuesday in Abeokuta during a policy engagement and stakeholders’ forum on the Gender Action Learning System (GALS).

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

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

Mr Owotomo explained that the beneficiaries of the programme included 7,433 men, 4,906 women, 2,941 male youths, and 1,984 female youths.

He stated that out of the beneficiaries, 15,000 were rice and cassava producers, with over 100 more engaged as processors and marketers.

“Yields have improved impressively; rice productivity has more than doubled from 1.5 metric tonnes to 3.1 metric tonnes per hectare. While cassava yields rose from 18 metric tonnes to 33 metric tonnes per hectare,” he said.

He added that one of the most profound legacies of VCDP was its focus on gender equity and social inclusion through the GALS.

“As the programme gradually winds down, we are called to ensure that the seeds of transformation it has planted continue to flourish across our communities,” he said.

Mr Owotomo emphasised that the state government remained steadfast in its commitment to agriculture as a cornerstone of economic development.

In her presentation, the acting programme coordinator of VCDP, Abiola Sobukola, noted that VCDP was using GALS methodology to achieve gender transformation among its beneficiaries in the state.

Ms Sobukola explained that GALS had recorded transformative achievements, such as increased women’s participation in household decision-making, hence the need to engage policy actors and stakeholders to scale it up in the state.

Waliu Owode, chairman of the Ogun House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, promised that the assembly would continue to enact laws that are gender-friendly.

(NAN)