FGN IFAD VCDP Trains Anambra Farmers On Good Agricultural Practices
By Chinwe Onuigbo, Awka
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with IFAD Assisted Value Chain Development Programm, VCDP has trained Anambra farmers on good Agricultural practices for 2022-2023 dry season Rice farmers
The training workshop is for Rural Poor Stimulus Facilities, RPSF, and 2022-2023 Dry Season Rice farmers in Anambra State.
The state program coordinator, FGN IFAD VCDP, Mr Nnamdi Agwuncha, who described the capacity building workshop as a tradition by IFAD, said the input disbursement is a follow-up on beneficiaries to inculcate new inventions and avoid mistakes.
Mr Agwuncha assured the readiness of IFAD VCDP to ensure that it did not deviate from the state government’s interest in promoting organic agriculture.
Farm losses
On the fate of farmers that suffered losses during last year’s flooding, Mr Agwuncha, who encouraged them not to lose hope, affirmed that they must be indemnified as the National Agric Insurance Corporation, NAIC, is still conducting the identification, assessment and verification of farms of affected farmers.
Tasking participants on good agronomic practices on Rice Production in Nigeria, a resource person, Dr Micheal Nasamu who disclosed that they were contracted by IFAD VCDP at Abuja to build the capacity of dry season Rice farmers, announced that the training workshop is simultaneously taking place across nine states in Nigeria.
Dr Nasamu, while expressing joy that Anambra State has a good number of dry season farmers, advised them to start by getting their inputs, tools, labours, and money for production ready before going into land preparation, planting, fertilizer application, water and field management activities, pre and post-harvest among others.
Contributing, the state Agric Production Officer, FGN IFAD VCDP, Mr Emmanuel Chukwukwelu, revealed that they have increased their demo plots for practical demonstration of the best ways to achieve good agronomic practices on rice and cassava farming.
The workshop climaxed with field visits where the participants were taken through the practical aspect of what they were thought in the classroom.
Emmanuel Ukoh
