The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a bumper harvest in rice and cassava production by farmers participating in the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Nasarawa State during the 2025 farming season. The achievement is the outcome of the FGN/IFAD VCDP implemented in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The State Programme Coordinator of the FGN/IFAD VCDP, Dr. Eunice Adgidzi, disclosed this at a one-day media roundtable held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. She said the improved harvest reflects years of structured support, training, and access to better farming inputs provided to participating farmers across the state.
Dr. Adgidzi explained that when the programme began in 2020, many rice farmers relied on seed broadcasting rather than establishing nurseries for transplanting. According to her, this practice resulted in high seed wastage, weak plant development, and low yields. She noted that consistent training and capacity-building activities under the programme have changed farmers’ approaches and strengthened their technical skills.
“Today, rice farmers under the programme are harvesting up to 4.5 metric tonnes per hectare, which is a major improvement compared to what was obtainable before,” she said. Dr. Adgidzi attributed the gains to the distribution of certified, disease-resistant and drought-tolerant seeds, combined with improved agronomic practices introduced through the programme.
She added that cassava production has also recorded significant progress. “Cassava farmers are now producing up to two metric tonnes per hectare, largely due to access to improved planting materials supplied by the programme,” she stated.
Dr. Adgidzi further outlined the three core components guiding the implementation of the VCDP. These include the Market Development Component, which focuses on improving profitability for smallholder farmers and agro-processors through better market access and value addition. The second is the Smallholder Productivity Enhancement Component, designed to boost productivity in an economically and environmentally sustainable way. The third is the Programme Coordination and Management Component, which ensures effective implementation while integrating gender inclusion, youth participation, environmental sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, and communication.
Also speaking, the Knowledge Management and Communication Officer of the FGN/IFAD VCDP in Nasarawa State, Mr. Samson Jonah Akwe, urged journalists to understand donor expectations when reporting on the programme. He highlighted key achievements recorded between 2021 and 2025, including the construction of commodity aggregation centres, culverts, market stores, and rice and cassava processing facilities across several local government areas.
According to him, notable projects include an aggregation centre at the Ashangwa Rice Innovation Platform, a rice processing centre in Wamba Local Government Area, and a fully equipped rice processing facility with drying sheds, drying slabs, and a crèche for the Kauna-Maiday MPCS in Doma Local Government Area. Mr. Akwe also listed the provision of small-scale irrigation facilities, irrigation pumps, rice threshers, mini rice transplanters, and rice reapers to farming communities across the state.
He commended journalists for their consistent coverage of VCDP activities and urged them to ensure accuracy and proper documentation to support the programme’s growth, sustainability, and continued impact on agricultural development in Nasarawa State.
