ID: | 83015 |
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Country: | Nigeria |
Title: | Nigeria - Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) – November 2023 |
Description: |
Rice harvesting using a mechanical brushcutter rice harvester in the demonstration plot established by Evelyn Ifebuch Nwaru for the Chimeremma Women Cooperative Society Aninri local government area in south-eastern Nigeria’s Enugu State. The IFAD-funded Value Chain Development Program (VCDP) provided the group with inputs and support, including Faro44 certified rice seeds, agro-chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides) needed to cultivate a one-hectare plot, and help to prepare the land for planting.and training. With the project’s support, Evelyn established a demonstration plot where she trained cooperative members on good agronomic practices, boosting their capacity and increasing their productivity. For example, instead of broadcasting seed, now they have learned to grow and transplant seedlings for better results. Crop yields have increased significantly from about 2.1 tons of rice per hectare to 5.2 tons or more per hectare. VCDP's support extended cultivation into the dry season through water pumps, further boosting yearly production and income. The Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), which started its activities in 2014, works in close coordination with local government across nine states—Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, and Taraba—on developing cassava and rice value chains for smallholder farmers, rolling out development initiatives that aim to reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen food security and accelerate economic growth. Building strong public-private-producer partnerships (4Ps) has provided a solid pathway for reaching sustainable transformation in rural communities where agriculture is a mainstay of economic activity. VCDP helps households adopt sustainable and climate resilient practices, as well as dietary diversity that leads to better nutrition and health benefits. The project has benefited almost 100,000 rural people, in particular women and youth. The number of households living in poverty has decreased by almost 50 per cent, while agricultural income of more than 60 per cent of VCDP-supported beneficiaries has increased by 25 per cent. |
Size: | 18.47 MB; 6480 x 4320 pixels; 549 x 366 mm (print at 300 DPI); 1714 x 1143 mm (screen at 96 DPI); |
Show more details: | Andrew Esiebo |
Copyright: | ©IFAD/Andrew Esiebo |
Categories: | New from West and Central Africa |
URL: | www.ifad.org |