The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has pledged to work towards stabilising the prices of agricultural equipment in the country.
The minister made the pledge in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while flagging off the distribution of farm equipment.
He said the prices of equipment would be stabilised in the same way foodstuff prices were stabilised following efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to tackle hunger in Nigeria.
The equipment, purchased by the Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development through its Value Chain Development Programme VCDP, is aimed at improving rice and cassava value chains in the state and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods.
Kyari said about 150,000 farmers were targeted for various interventions and support at the commencement of the programme a few years ago, adding that the VCDP has so far reached 135,000 farmers.
“This programme is one of those visions of Mr President in trying to alleviate the sufferings of the people and I know farmers are complaining of inputs. We are going to bring down the inputs. It’s going to be a deliberate effort,” he said.
The minister added, “At least, we were able to get prices of food stabilised, but I know that farmers are complaining of equipment, and we will also do the same for the equipment, just like we did for the prices of food.
“We are going to bring down prices of the inputs. It is going to be a deliberate effort. I am sure that the state governments are going to participate in that as well.”
He commended the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, for his efforts in making the state a hub for agriculture.
“Nasarawa State ranks number one within the VCDP programme in collaboration and also coming up with counterpart agreements,” he said.
Kyari congratulated the beneficiaries, thanked them for keying into the programme, and urged them to ensure the sustainability of the implemented projects.
Speaking, Governor Abdullahi Sule appreciated the Minister of Agriculture and President Bola Tinubu for their continued support to Nasarawa State in maintaining its position as one of the top food-producing states in the country.
“Nasarawa State continues to remain a state of agriculture, and that is the reason why, if we become number one in the Value Chain Development Programme, it is not going to be a surprise because we want to continue to encourage our small-scale farmers in order for them to be independent, and I think that they are doing so, and I want to congratulate our farmers for the wonderful thing that they are doing,” he said.
“We actually decided to support the VCDP for the fact that they are looking at the aspect of value chain. You know, in agriculture, because of the post-harvest wastages, it is very, very important to look at the complete value chain, and that is exactly what we are trying to practice,” the governor explained.
On her part, the National Coordinator of the VCDP, Dr Fatima Aliyu, revealed that the programme has transformed small holder farmers into employers of labour, impacting over 150,000 farmers and processors across nine states in Nigeria.
Aliyu said the VCDP was unique because it addresses the value chain from production to consumption, demonstrating that smallholder farming can be economically viable and profitable.
She commended Governor Sule for his support to the programme.
“He is a friend of the VCDP. We’ve been coming for supervision missions and the two times that we came for supervision mission, the governor was gracious enough to welcome us and give us audience,” she said.
Aliyu noted that the initiative would help farmers alleviate their sufferings and enhance productivity during routine farming activities. She also commended farmers for participating in several trainings and adopting new technologies that have improved their performance.
“The VCDP is all-inclusive. We have people with disabilities that are also part of the VCDP. And indeed today, some people with disability are going to receive these inputs.
“In the VCDP, whatever we do is on a matching grant basis. It will interest you to know that these people with disability gave us their matching grant of N1.5 million and they are people with disability.
This is to show the commitment and the level of trust that they have in the VCDP. If they didn’t have that trust, they wouldn’t have mobilised to pay that matching grant,” she said.
Earlier, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture, Tanko Tunga, said farmers in the state had greatly benefited from the VCDP through access to improved inputs and modern agronomic practices, strengthened farmer organisations and innovation platforms, improved aggregation, processing and market linkages, as well as community assets and equipment that enhance productivity and value addition.
He noted that the inputs and equipment being distributed would further strengthen collective action among farmer organisations and improve efficiency in production, processing, and marketing.
Tunga appreciated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, IFAD, the National Programme Management Unit of the VCDP, and other stakeholders for their continued support and partnership, which have improved farmers’ yields and livelihoods in the state.
Voice of Nigeria reports that during the minister’s working visit, he commissioned and inspected VCDP projects, including rice processing centres in Kwanka and Ashangwa communities in Lafia Local Government Area.
Equipment distributed includes 46 tricycles, nine weighing scales, three destoners, seven petrol engines, seven small-scale rice mills, and two steam parboilers, among other agricultural equipment provided to farmer groups across the state.