Over seven hundred and twenty million naira worth of farm inputs have been disbursed to four thousand, five hundred and fifteen farmers for over eight thousand hectare of farm land.
The event, which took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export in Awka, attracted thirty farmers from each of the five participating council areas, supply chain managers, Agro dealers, off-takers, and some other stakeholders in Agriculture.
The inputs are NPK and urea fertilizers, certified rice seeds, bundless of cassava stems and herbicides.
Flagging off the 2017 wet-season inputs, disbursement and redemption for the five participating council areas, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export, Mr. Afam Mbanefo, said the Value Chain Development Programme target to produce five hundred thousand metric tones of rice and two hundred and fifty thousand metric tones of cassava this farming season.
Mr. Mbanefo represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Leo Imoka, commended Governor Willie Obiano for the prompt payment of the state’s cash counterpart contribution for the State Value Chain Development Programme to thrive, adding that the realization of the set target will boost the state’s and national GDPs.
In his opening remarks, the State Programme Co-ordinator, Value Chain Development Programme, IFAD assisted, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha, said the main target and focus of the programme is to assist farmers increase both their productivity, output and high yield for more income.
Mr. Agwunch, who advised the farmers to make judicious use of the inputs supplied to them, announced that they did business plans for the farmers, profiled their farms and took their farms co-ordinates.
Speaking, some of the beneficiaries, Mr. James Ohate from Innoma in Anambra West Council area, Mr. Sunday Nwachukwu from Amanuke, Awka North, and Mrs Adaeze Okwuego , promised to make judicious use of the inputs to make both Governor Willie Obiano and the state proud.
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