By Stephen Adeleye.
Some beneficiaries of the International Fund for Agriculture Development – Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) in Kabba-Bunu LGA, Kogi, said the VCDP programme have enhance their wellbeing and better their livelihoods.
The farmers who are from Agalupa Cluster in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area express their feelings during their visit to appreciate the State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of IFAD-VCDP, Dr Stella Adejoh in Lokoja.
The Local Government Liaison Officer, Mr Towo Eni Dare Joseph, who spoke on behalf of the cluster, thanked the state programme coordinator for facilitating the establishment of the Processing Centre in their cluster.
The Liaison officer thanked the coordinator for displaying high managerial acumen in the discharge of her duty, which had improved their standard of living.
He stressed that with the provision of the facility many VCDP farmers and their families’ livelihoods have been enhanced.
Responding, Dr Adejoh expressed her satisfaction on the visit by the Cluster, and assured them of the continuous support of VCDP to improve their livelihoods, reduce poverty and ensure food security.
She commended the farmers for being very cooperative over time, and urged them not to relent in putting in their best to ensure that the objective of the Programmes are achieved.
The coordinator further encouraged them on the need to work together as a team stressing that she will be more fulfilled seeing the Agalupa cluster members and other clusters across the benefiting LGAs in the State becoming self reliant and turning out millionaires .
She stressed that the essence of the programme was to ensure that rural farmers or small holder farmers are empowered to stem the tide of poverty, hunger and starvation thereby boosting the livelihoods of the people.
