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The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government is making deliberate efforts to stabilise the prices of farm inputs to ease the burden on farmers across the country.

Kyari stated this on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, while flagging off the distribution of farm inputs and agro-equipment to farmers under the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP).

He said that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to alleviate hardship among Nigerians, particularly farmers.

“We have been able to stabilise food prices, but I know farmers are complaining about the high cost of inputs, and we are determined to address that as well.

“We are going to bring down the prices of inputs. It will be a deliberate effort, and I am sure state governments will also participate,” he said.

The minister noted that the VCDP initially targeted 135,000 farmers but had so far reached about 150,000 beneficiaries, adding that the programme still had some time before its expiration.

Kyari commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his efforts in positioning the state as a hub for agriculture.

“Nasarawa State ranks number one under the VCDP in terms of collaboration and counterpart funding commitments,” he said.

He congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to sustain the projects implemented under the programme.

In his remarks, Sule praised the VCDP for its contributions to agricultural development in the state.

He emphasised the need to focus on the entire agricultural value chain to enhance value addition and reduce post-harvest losses.

The governor assured that his administration would put strategies in place to sustain VCDP interventions beyond the programme’s lifespan.

“Nasarawa State remains an agrarian state, and I am not surprised that we are ranked number one under the VCDP.

“We will continue to encourage our small-scale farmers to become independent and productive. I congratulate our farmers for the progress we are witnessing,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Fatima Aliyu,the National Coordinator of the VCDP, said the programme had transformed smallholder farmers into employers of labour, impacting over 132,000 farmers and processors across nine states.

“VCDP’s main objective is to increase the food security and income of smallholder farmers, who are engaged in the rice and cassava value chains on a sustainable basis,” she said.

Aliyu described the VCDP as unique, noting that it addressed the entire value chain from production to consumption, while proving that smallholder farming could be economically viable and profitable.

She highlighted several achievements of VCDP in Nasarawa, saying that women farmers trained and assisted under the programme in the State had mobilised over N19 million to support their agricultural activities.

According to her, the programme was recognised by IFAD for its gender-friendly approach, winning the 2021 Gender Award for West and Central Africa.

Aliyu appealed to the government to upgrade the VCDP to an agency, citing its significant impact on rural livelihoods and inclusive economic growth.

She also commended Sule for his consistent support, describing him as a strong ally of the programme.

Earlier, Mr Umar Tanko-Tunga, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, said the VCDP had improved access to quality inputs, strengthened farmer organisations and enhanced market linkages in the state.

He added that the programme had contributed significantly to food security and economic empowerment in rural communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that equipment distributed included tricycles, weighing scales, de-stoners, petrol and diesel engines, colour sorters, electric motors, steam parboilers and small-scale rice mills.

NAN also reports that Kyari and Sule commissioned two rice processing centres in Kwanka and Ashangwa communities of Lafia Local Government Area, constructed under the VCDP.

Some beneficiaries, including Mr Alfred Alogala, Chairman of Agi-Alo Rice Processing Centre, Kwanka, and Mr Joshua Jonathan, Chairman of Value Chain Innovation Rice Processing Centre, Ashangwa, thanked the VCDP for the interventions, which they said had improved their livelihoods.

(NAN)