Post-harvest equipment coming for Nasarawa farmers

The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of processing and post-harvest equipment to farmers and agribusiness groups supported by the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Nasarawa State, as part of efforts to strengthen agribusiness and enhance food security.

The flag-off ceremony, held in Lafia during a two-day working visit to the state, was led by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.

He said the intervention was designed to add value to agricultural produce, reduce post-harvest losses, empower women and youth farmers, encourage competitiveness, and boost productivity.

According to the minister, the equipment will also support enterprise growth, deepen market participation, and expand opportunities for rural employment.

Senator Kyari explained that the programme, implemented in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is aimed at addressing structural constraints in the rice and cassava value chains through integrated investments in production, aggregation, processing, infrastructure, market access, and institutional strengthening, in alignment with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP).

He underscored the programme’s alignment with the agricultural transformation agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, stating that “agriculture must deliver results, food for our people, jobs for our youth, income for our farmers, and stability for our nation.”

He added, “Under Mr. President’s leadership, agriculture is being transformed into a modern, market-oriented and private-sector-driven enterprise, with Nasarawa State leading the way.”

The minister further highlighted the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company (NASACCO) and the One-Stop Investment Centre (OSIC) as key initiatives strengthening the state’s investment climate.

He commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for his commitment to large-scale cultivation, noting that the state’s efforts would help boost domestic food supply, stabilise prices, conserve foreign exchange, and create jobs.

Pointing to visible outcomes of federal-state collaboration, Senator Kyari said functional aggregation centres, modern processing facilities, and strengthened producer organisations were already making an impact. “These interventions are creating jobs, stabilising rural incomes, and strengthening Nasarawa State’s contribution to national food security,” he said.

In his remarks, Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, said the state government had aligned its agricultural programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at economic diversification and wealth creation for Nigerian farmers.

He noted that ongoing reforms in the sector would empower youth and women farmers, increase production, and improve internally generated revenue.

Earlier, in her welcome address, the National Programme Coordinator of the FGN/IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, said the initiative supports rice and cassava smallholder farmers through a value-chain approach to enhance productivity, promote agro-processing, and increase access to markets.

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She added that the programme would transform rural agriculture by improving food security, raising incomes, and creating new employment opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, the Chairman of the Ashangwa Rice Innovation Platform, Patience Wombo, pledged that the association would maintain and protect all facilities provided by the VCDP to ensure increased production, packaging, and distribution of agricultural products.

In a related event, the minister commissioned several FGN/IFAD-VCDP projects in Lafia, including the Value Chain Innovation Rice Processing Centre in Ashangwa, the Gidi Gidi Garri Processing Centre, and the Agi Alo Rice Processing Centre, among others.

Highlights of the two-day working visit included the distribution of agricultural inputs comprising 46 tricycles, 16 rice steam parboiling machines, 18 rice milling machines, 10 rice de-stoning machines, three rice colour-sorting machines, 11 digital weighing scales, two rice de-husking machines, four cassava grating machines, four cassava manual fryers, three automated framers, and three hydraulic pressers. The visit also featured a courtesy call on the Governor of Nasarawa State.