The FGN/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Nasarawa State says more than 7,000 farmers have benefited from its interventions since the programme began operations in the state in 2021.
The disclosure was made during the 2026 budget performance session before the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture in Lafia on Tuesday.
The Nasarawa State Programme Monitoring Unit (SPMU) of the VCDP said the beneficiaries include youths, women and elderly farmers involved in rice and cassava production, processing and marketing across the state.
Speaking during the session, the State Programme Coordinator, Dr Eunice Adigidzi, represented by her Technical Assistant, Mr Victor Habila Alaku, said the programme was created through a partnership between the Federal Government and IFAD to improve the income and productivity of smallholder farmers.
According to him, the programme currently operates in five local government areas in Nasarawa State, including Lafia, Doma, Wamba, Nasarawa and Karu.
“So far, since the inception of the programme in 2021, we have supported over 7000 farmers including youths and women, even elderly are engaging in the production of rice, processing and marketing and same way cassava,” he said.
He explained that the programme has continued to support beneficiaries with improved agricultural practices and farm inputs to strengthen food production and rural livelihoods in the state.
“We gave them support in the area of good agricultural practices, fertilizers, rice seedlings among others.
“In addition to that, we provided processing centres, irrigation centres,” he added.
Alaku noted that the programme was designed to strengthen the rice and cassava value chain while creating economic opportunities for rural farmers and agribusiness participants.
He also appreciated Governor Abdullahi Sule and members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture for supporting the implementation of the programme in the state.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Hon Dr Ibrahim Peter Akwe, commended the impact of the VCDP, saying the programme has contributed positively to agricultural production and the welfare of residents in Nasarawa State.
Akwe assured the programme of the committee’s continued support, adding that agriculture remains critical to economic growth, food security and job creation.
The committee chairman also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies and agricultural development programmes to increase local food production and improve the living conditions of farmers.
During the session, the committee also reviewed the 2026 budget performance of the Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), where lawmakers called for increased government funding for agricultural activities in the state.
The lawmakers said additional funding would help agencies and intervention programmes provide improved seedlings, fertilizers, herbicides and other inputs needed to increase productivity among farmers.
The VCDP has become one of the key agricultural support programmes operating in Nasarawa State, particularly in rural communities where access to farm inputs, irrigation facilities and processing infrastructure remains a major challenge for smallholder farmers.
