Anambra Government has reiterated its commitment to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for farmers in the state.

Mr Afam Mbanefo, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanisation, Processing and Export made the pledge in Onitsha on Monday at the inauguration of Commodity Agricultural Forum (CAF).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CAF is driven by the IFAD-VCDP for agricultural stakeholders under its programme.

“The CAF initiative will play a big role in driving the commodity unit in the state, which is why Gov. Willie Obiano mandated its establishment.

“Agriculture is key to this administration; that is why the state government will continue to support IFAD-VCDP to drive its activities for the benefit of farmers and agricultural stakeholders,” he said.

The state Programme Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Mr Nnamdi Agwuncha, explained that CAF was a platform for farmers and others to share experiences and find solutions to agricultural challenges in the state.

“It was adopted as a legal entity to enable it play the facilitating role for VCDP.

“IFAD-VCDP registered CAF with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a business entity to facilitate business transactions for all the value chain stakeholders in the country,” Agwuncha explained.

In his remarks, the state chairman of CAF, Mr Paul Egwuatu, who commended IFAD-VCDP for the initiative, said the forum would be used to solve some of the challenges facing them.

NAN reports that IFAD-VCDP is an international financial institution of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries through rice and cassava production.

The six-year programme which was being implemented in Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba States, was expected to terminate on June 30, 2020.  (NAN)

– Aug. 27, 2018 @ 12:19 GMT |