| ID: | 82978 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Nigeria |
| Title: | Nigeria - Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) – November 2023 |
| Description: |
Evelyn Ifebuch Nwaru threshing rice with the threshing machine provided by IFAD/VCDP to support rice production for the 17 members of the Chimeremma Women Cooperative Society in Aninri local government area in south-eastern Nigeria’s Enugu State. Evelyn, married with two children, leads the cooperative that has benefited from the IFAD-supported VCDP, with each of the group’s members having received Faro44 certified rice seed, fertilizer and agro-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides) needed to cultivate a one-hectare plot and help to prepare the land for planting. With the project’s support, Evelyn uses the demo plot where to train the cooperatives members good agronomic practices she herself learned from the VCDP, 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. “The difference in yield when using the new practices cannot be compared to the old practices. I used to harvest about 2.1 tons of rice per hectare. Now I get about 5.2 tons or more per hectare. The additional income has been life changing for my family. Paying school tuition for my children is no longer a burden, and I’ve even bought a car.” VCDP's support extended cultivation into the dry season through water pumps, boosting yearly production and income. Each woman now tends to their plot, selling harvests at fair prices to Angel Rice Mill. Previously focused on subsistence farming, Evelyn learned from VCDP that farming is a business, revolutionizing her approach. The project's training on household management united families, fostering cooperation to achieve shared goals. Nutrition education transformed their health and farming abilities. Rice farming has been Evelyn’s primary livelihood for more than 15 years, although she also grows other crops. She suffered during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and was relieved when the VCDP entered the community in 2021 with much needed support and its SDG 1 mandate of eliminating poverty. “The traditional mentality of most of our farmers here was of subsistence farming. But the VCDP came to tell us that farming is not just about eating, farming is a business,” explained Evelyn. “Today, I can boast about what VCDP has done in my life and marvel at the improvents in my family’s wellbeing and farm conditions.” VCDP provide training on many different topics. For example, Evelyn noted the training about household management as the most important one. She and her group members learned to unite their families, acknowledging that just one person in the household cannot be solely responsible for doing all the work to support the family. Through the training, group members have achieved household harmony, living in peace and working together to achieve their goals. Nutrition was also an area of training for which the group members were especially grateful. “VCDP taught us that our life should be our priority. If you have good health, you can farm very well. Learning the importance of eating a nutritious, balanced diet has been life changing for us.” By Evelyn’s account, her engagement in the VCDP has been an education. She has had opportunities to travel to other communities and states across Nigeria to exchange knowledge and benefit from the experience of others. “VCDP doesn’t just give you inputs. They follow up with you. They will guide you to make sure you are using the inputs properly and following the best agronomic practices. No other organization does that. VCDP really cares about my family, my farm and my health.” 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: | 16.72 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 |
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