Agric Commissioner attributes increased agricultural productivity to IFAD

Prof. Moses Ogbaji, Commissioner for Agriculture in Benue state, says increased agricultural productivity in the state is attributable to the support farmers derive from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The commissioner said this when the IFAD Country Director to Nigeria, Mrs Dede Ekoue, led the organization’s team on a courtesy visit to him on Thursday in Makurdi.

Ogbaji said that farmers had taken advantage of the assistance given farmers by IFAD to improve the cultivation of rice and cassava.
He said that IFAD had empowered a lot of women and youths in eight local government areas in the state.

The commissioner sued for more of such support and collaboration with the state.
He appealed to IFAD to expand and cover more local government areas, adding that the organization should include more crops in their programme like yam which was the state’s main crop.

Earlier, Ekoue, praised IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for doing outstanding work in the state, stressing that the farmers too were very committed to their agricultural activities.

He pointed out that IFAD-VCDP’s work was excellent because of the commitment on the side of farmers and the outstanding leadership of the National Coordinator, Dr Fatima Aliyu, and her team.

She said there was need for IFAD-VCDP to remain effective for the overall good of the nation.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi