By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
The Federal Government (FG) in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have constructed storage facilities for Logo and Guma Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue to tackle post harvest losses.
The IFAD State Programme Coordinator (SPC) in Benue, Mr Emmanuel Igbaukum, disclosed this on Tuesday in Daudu, Guma LGA of the state.
He lamented that farmers in the state were grappling with the challenge of post harvest losses which was due largely to lack of storage facilities.
According to him, “it is on this basis that the FG and IFAD co-financed the construction of the two storage centres, stressing that it would go a long way to minimize post harvest losses at least in the two LGAs”.
He further disclosed that farmers in Guma LGA alone do produce 10,000 metric tonnes of rice annually with the support of FG and IFAD.
Also, the IFAD Country Director to Nigeria, Mrs Dede Ekoue, called on the youths to embrace agriculture to enhance their income and become self reliant.
She also admonished farmers to always insure their crops against flood to avoid losing their sweat when their farms might be washed away by flood.
Also, the IFAD National Programme Coordinator (NPC), Dr Fatima Aliyu, assured that IFAD would continue to support farmers to enable them scale up food production.
Represented by the IFAD Knowledge Management Communications (KMC) Adviser, Mrs Vera Onyilo, Aliyu charged them to make maximum use of the storage facility and maintain it adequately as well.
The state Chairman, Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), Mr Fidelis Chia, appreciated IFAD for linking farmers to markets, stressing that farmers no longer worry of where to sell their produce because IFAD had connected them with off-takers.
A representative of the youth farmers, Felicia Gbuuka, thanked IFAD for the various trainings that she received which equipped her to embrace agriculture fully. “With the assistance of IFAD, have become an employer of labour and would not look for any white collar job again”.
Elder Matthew Ihom, advised the youth to accept the IFAD program wholeheartedly, advising that it would help in reducing unemployment as well as criminality.
