By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
The joint venture between the International Fund for Agricultural Development, (IFAD), the Federal Government and the Niger State Government to develop and expand capacities for rice and cassava production in Niger State has began to yield fruitful dividends.
The partnership between the trio signed in 2012 but became effective in 2013 with a draw down period from 2015 terminates in six years period, (in 2020).
The programme has a total grant package of $74.5 million. It is aimed at improving the quality of life and the standard of living of poor rural communities who are into rice and cassava production, processing, packaging/branding and marketing.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development is a donor support finance initiative under the auspices of the United Nations with the partners contributing funds into a common basket to fund agricultural productivity for the enhancement of value chain development in food and cash crops production, processing and marketing.
In Niger state, the initiative is aimed at improving the livelihood of the poor, rural communities and the production of quality rice and cassava which can compete favourably with imported ones.
Since the take off of the joint sponsorship initiative between the trio where Niger state first made it’s counterpart contribution of =N=60 million in 2014 – 2015 dry farming cropping season, rice farmers from the five participating council areas of Bida, Katcha, Kontagora, Shiroro and Wushishi have scaled up their production outputs from two tonnes of rice per hectre to five tonnes per hectre.
For the 2016 – 2017 dry farming cropping season, the state government has approved =N=87 million as it’s counterpart funds for the programme.
IFAD Coordinator in Niger state, Ameh Onoja said under the initiative, participating farmers are expected to produce quality, stone free rice and increased their farm yields with the improved seedlings.
He expressed optimism that with current yields per hectre, the rice farmers were expecting bumper harvest of seven tonnes per hectre.
He said already Kanko rice cluster farmers were producing fine quality, stone free rice that can compete with any imported rice even as the farmers are smiling home and to their banks with good money.
The IFAD state Coordinator commended the commitment of the Niger state government in paying it’s counterpart funds just as he urged the state government to promptly release the 2016 -2017 counterpart funds to actualise the projection of attaining the expected high yields and betterment of the standards of living of the rural farmers.
He said with the current tempo and zeal, Niger state was indeed poised to lead the rest of the rice farming states in the country. He said rice farmers from the state are expected to make a combined haul of over twenty five metric tonnes of quality rice from both dry and wet season farming.
