The Federal Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), has distributed agricultural equipment worth millions of naira to 458 farmers in Enugu State.
The beneficiaries, drawn from Aninri, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo and Udenu Local Government Areas, are engaged in rice and cassava production, processing and marketing under the IFAD-VCDP scheme.
The items handed over included 38 tricycles, 15 rice destoners, three paddy rice steam parboilers, 10 rice threshers, 50 energy-saving stoves, 20 seed planters, 20 water pumps, 50 knapsack sprayers, 50 point-of-sale (POS) machines and 50 digital weighing scales. Others were six power tillers, three rice milling machines, three solar dryers, five rice reapers, 10 cassava pounding machines and seven cassava peeling machines.
Speaking at the event, Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr. Patrick Ubru, reaffirmed agriculture as a central focus of his administration. He noted that the government had paid its counterpart funding to donor agencies like IFAD to attract such interventions.
“These facilities will support processing, packaging, transportation and marketing of farm produce, ultimately boosting the income of our farmers. In Enugu State, we are committed to not just producing but also adding value to agricultural products up to the export level,” Mbah said, urging beneficiaries to make good use of the equipment and seek technical assistance where necessary.
The National Programme Coordinator of VCDP, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, represented by Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Advisor, Mr. Musa Dalang, commended the governor for meeting counterpart funding obligations. She noted that the project has continued to change the lives of rural farmers across Nigeria, helping them grow into successful agribusiness entrepreneurs.
Enugu State Programme Coordinator, Dr. Edward Isiwu, disclosed that farmers contributed 30 percent of the equipment cost, while beneficiaries would be closely monitored to ensure sustainability. He added that since 2020, more than 9,000 farmers in the state had benefited from IFAD-VCDP interventions, receiving both farm inputs and processing tools for cassava and rice value chains.
According to Isiwu, the scheme has improved food security, enhanced nutrition, created jobs, reduced post-harvest losses, and strengthened market linkages for rural farmers.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Emmanuel Odoh, a rice farmer, expressed appreciation, noting that the tricycle he received would ease produce transportation to markets and increase his earnings.