Kogi VCDP Farmers Reap Bumper Dry Season Rice Harvest, Laud VCDP Support
Farmers in Kogi State, under the IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), are celebrating a record dry-season rice harvest, thanks to improved seeds, fertilizers, and training. Yields have increased from 1.5 to 5.5 metric tons per hectare. Officials praised the program’s success, pledging further support for wet-season farming and ensuring sustainable agricultural development.
Farmers under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP-AF) in Kogi State, are celebrating a bumper dry season rice harvest, thanks to the programme’s support.
The farmers, who cultivated rice on various hectares of farmland, appreciated Kogi VCDP for providing them with essential farm inputs, including improved rice seeds, fertilizers, harvesting equipment and capacity building training.
The farmers attributed their success to the support they received from the VCDP, which included training on good agronomic practices and provision of critical farm inputs.
Speaking to journalists at Magajiya Ijiho Cluster rice farmland at Ijiho community in Lokoja, a farmer beneficiary, Sule Mohammed, thanked the Kogi VCDP for the intervention which he said, had increased their yield.
According to him, the dry season rice harvest has brought joy to VCDP farmers in Kogi State, because they have witnessed a significant increase in our rice yield.
“As VCDP farmers in Kogi State, we have every reason to celebrate, having witnessed a remarkable increase in our dry season rice harvest,
“The variety of improved rice seeds given to us with fertilizer and training, have greatly improved our yield.
“Our old seeds always take like five to six months before harvest, but now with the improved seeds, three months we are done.
“We thank God, with Kogi VCDP intervention we now have lock-up shops to keep and preserve our products to sell to the processors.
“We presently sells 100kg of rice pady at N42,000 per bag, and the Housas are coming from the North to buy and load our rice in trailers,” Mohammed said.
Another farmer, Mohammed Musa, said Kogi VCDP support was instrumental in their success of bumper harvest in this dry season.
“In dry season, there is rest of mind about our planting unlike the rainy season when flood can submerge the whole farm overnight.
“Our livelihoods have improved tremendously through Kogi VCDP inputs’ support, enlightenment and training.
“It has helped us to improve our farm yield upto four times the previous harvest that we used to get, and it has improved our well-being and livelihoods,” Musa said.
Another farmer, Sadiyat Umar, said the bumper harvest had help them to improve their standards of living amidst the economic hardships in the country.
“We thank VCDP for providing them with improved rice seeds (Faro 44), fertilizers, agrochemicals, harvesters, reapers, pumping machines, and other essential farm inputs.
“We are grateful to the VCDP for this bumper harvest we are reaping now on our farms,” Umar said.
The farmers recognized the importance of continuous training and support in maintaining and improving their rice yield.
They, therefore appealed to the VCDP and the Kogi State Government for more support and training to enhance their capacity and adopt best agronomic practices.
“We appreciate what Kogi VCDP and State Government have been doing for us, but we still need more support. We need more equipment, input, and subsidised chemicals,” Mohammed said
In her remarks, Dr Fatima Aliyu, the National Coordinator IFAD-VCDP Abuja, who was on the field to witness the harvest, commended the farmers for making VCDP proud in Kogi.
Aliyu, who was represented by Vera Onyilo, the Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor to VCDP National Office, commended the State Government for prompt and timely payment of its counterparts fund.
“I am here on the field visit to monitor and capture the success stories of the dry season harvest of Kogi VCDP farmers.
“Usually, when we support the farmers, we also track and monitor them to be able to capture the success stories.
“Last year, we supported them with Agro inputs, such as fertilizer, improved rice seeds, agrochemicals, and good agronomic practices in terms of training.
“We are happy with what we are seeing here today on the field; we watched the farmers doing mechanical harvesting which was part of the things we supported them with, like the Reapers.
“Our support for them has helped them to be able to engage in rice farming both in wet and dry seasons with multiple yield.
“This bumper harvest, will in turn improves their livelihoods and help them to be able to send their children to school, built houses and invest the rest.
“Before the farmers used to harvest 1.5 Metric tons of rice per hectare, but it has greatly increased to an average of 5.5 metric tons per hectare, which shows that the support and results are visible.
“Also, we commend Gov. Ahead Ododo’s Administration for timely and regular payment of counterparts fund; Kogi has done very well in supporting the VCDP in the state.
“They have paid counterparts fund even ahead, and we urge them to continue to be able sustain the VCDP in the state after the program closes.
“We have also put mechanisms in place such as the Commodity Alliance Forum, so that when VCDP exit, it can be sustained in the state,” she said.
Aliyu assured the farmers of more support during the upcoming wet season farming with the necessary inputs, and build their capacity to use good technologies through best agronomic practices.
Also speaking, Dr. Stella Adejoh, the IFAD-VCDP Kogi State Coordinator, commended the State Government for creating an enabling environment for the VCDP programme to thrive in the state.
She also praised Gov. Ahmed Ododo for the timely payment of the state’s counterpart fund, which has facilitated the programme’s implementation.
Dr Adejoh said the VCDP supported small-holders farmers with two to three hectares of farmland through farmers’ organizations with minimum of 10 members per group including women and youths in the five pilot local governments in the state.
“The VCDP’s intervention in Kogi State has not only improved the livelihoods of farmers but has also contributed to the country’s food security.
“The programme’s focus on rice and cassava value chains has empowered farmers to produce high-quality crops, using modern farming techniques and equipment,” she said.
Dr Adejoh disclosed that over 3,000 rice farmers have been supported, while overall total of 5,450 of both rice and cassava farmers, had been supported across the five benefiting local government areas of Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ibaji. Olamaboro and Kabba-Bunu.
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Source : Kogi Reports
