The Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has announced that no fewer than 18,000 rice and cassava farmers in Ogun State have benefited from its intervention.
The disclosure was made by the acting programme coordinator, Abiola Sobunkola, on Wednesday during an inspection tour of project sites in Ijebu North East, Odeda, and Yewa North Local Government Areas.
The VCDP initiative is a federal government programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with the Ogun State government and farmers’ organisations. It is designed to support smallholder farmers in the rice and cassava value chains, enhancing productivity to promote food security and economic growth.
According to Sobunkola, the inspection was part of efforts to strengthen agricultural value chains across the state. She explained that the tour also aimed to ensure that the facilities provided for farmers were properly maintained and used to their maximum potential.
She added that the programme was structured to boost rice and cassava farming productivity while strengthening every stage of the value chain. Sobunkola noted that support from IFAD and VCDP had helped reduce farmers’ production costs significantly while also improving the availability of food in the state.
The Chairman of Ijebu North East Local Government Area, Foluso Badejo, praised the impact of the programme on local farmers. He described it as a major boost to agricultural development and thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun for his role in promoting food security through partnerships like VCDP.
“The collaboration with VCDP has been very impactful, and we ensure that the facilities provided are put to good use,” Badejo stated.
One of the beneficiaries, Timothy Eweoba, a cassava farmer from Ayetoro in Yewa North, said the intervention had transformed their operations. “We used to process Garri manually, which was stressful and time-consuming, but with the factory provided by VCDP, our processing capacity has greatly improved,” he said.