| ID: | 82973 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Nigeria |
| Title: | Nigeria - Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) – November 2023 |
| Description: |
Harvesting rice 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) has provided the group with inputs and support, including Faro44 certified rice seeds, agrochemicals (fertilizers, persticides, herbicides) and training. Evelyn established a demonstration plot, sharing VCDP-taught practices with the 17 women in her group. Thanks to the VCDP intervention, Evelyn's yield has soared from 2.1 to over 5.2 tons per hectare, transforming Evelyn's family life. Her increased income alleviated the burden of school fees and even allowed her to purchase a car. VCDP's support extended cultivation into the dry season through water pumps, further 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. “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: | 17.54 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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