Kogi farmers reap bumper dry season rice harvest, laud VCDP’s intervention

Magdalene Ukuedojor
Mar, Wed, 2025

Agriculture

Kogi farmers reap bumper dry season rice harvest, laud VCDP’s intervention

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By Stephen Adeleye

Farmers under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP-AF) in Kogi are celebrating a bumper dry season rice harvest.

The farmers, who cultivated rice on various hectares of farmland, appreciate Kogi VCDP for providing them with essential farm inputs, including improved rice seedlings, fertilisers, harvesting equipment and capacity building training.

The farmers attributed their success to the support they received from the VCDP, which included training on good agronomic practices and provision of critical farm inputs.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, at Magajiya Ijiho Cluster Rice Farmland in Lokoja, some of the farmers thanked VCDP for the intervention, saying it had increased their yield.

A farmer, Sule Mohammed, said that the dry season rice harvest had brought joy to VCDP farmers in the state, because they were witnessing a significant increase in their rice yield.

“As VCDP farmers in Kogi, we have every reason to celebrate haven witnessed a remarkable increase in our dry season rice harvest,

“The variety of improved rice seedlings given to us with fertiliser and training, have greatly improved our yield.

“Our old seeds always take like five to six months before harvest, but now with the improved seeds, three months we are done.

“We thank God, with Kogi VCDP intervention we now have lock-up shops to keep and preserve our products to sell to the processors.

“We presently sell 100kg of rice paddy at N42,000 per bag, and the Hausas are coming from the North to buy and load our rice in trailers,” Mohammed said.

Another farmer, Mohammed Musa, said the VCDP support was instrumental to their success of bumper harvest in the dry season.

“In the dry season, there is rest of mind about our planting, unlike the rainy season when flood can submerge the whole farm overnight.

“Our livelihoods have improved tremendously through Kogi VCDP inputs’ support, enlightenment and training.

“It has helped us to improve our farm yield up to four times the previous harvest that we used to get, and it has improved our well-being and livelihoods,” Musa said.

A female farmer, Sadiyat Umar, said the bumper harvest had helped them to improve their standards of living amidst the economic hardships in the country.

“We thank VCDP for providing us with improved rice seeds (Faro 44), fertilisers, agrochemicals, harvesters, reapers, pumping machines, and other essential farm inputs.

“We are grateful to the VCDP for this bumper harvest we are reaping now on our farms,” Umar said.

The farmers also appealed to the VCDP and the Kogi Government for more support and training to enhance their capacity and adopt best agronomic practices.

In her remarks, Dr Fatima Aliyu, the National Coordinator IFAD-VCDP Abuja, who was on the field to witness the harvest, commended the farmers for making VCDP proud in Kogi.

Aliyu, represented by Vera Onyilo, the Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor to VCDP National Office, commended the state government for prompt and timely payment of its counterpart’s fund.

“I am here on a field visit to monitor and capture the success stories of the dry season harvest of Kogi VCDP farmers.

“Usually, when we support the farmers, we also track and monitor them to be able to capture the success stories.

“Last year, we supported them with Agro inputs, such as fertiliser, improved rice seeds, agrochemicals, and good agronomic practices in terms of training.

“We are happy with what we are seeing here today on the field; we watched the farmers doing mechanical harvesting which was part of the things we supported them with, like the reapers,” she said.

She added that the support from the IFAD-VCDP had helped the farmers to be able to engage in rice farming both in wet and dry seasons with multiple yields.

“This bumper harvest will in turn improve their livelihoods and help them to be able to send their children to school build houses and carry out investment.

“Before the farmers used to harvest 1.5 metric tons of rice per hectare, but it has greatly increased to an average of 5.5 metric tons per hectare, which shows that the support and results are visible,” she said.

Aliyu assured the farmers of more support during the upcoming wet season farming with the necessary inputs.

Also speaking, Dr Stella Adejoh, the IFAD-VCDP Kogi State Coordinator, commended the State Government for creating an enabling environment for the VCDP programme to thrive in the state.

She also praised Gov. Ahmed Ododo for the timely payment of the state’s counterpart fund, which has facilitated the programme’s implementation.

Adejoh explained that the VCDP supported small-holder farmers with two to three hectares of farmland through farmers’ organisations including women and youths in the five pilot local governments in Kogi.

“The VCDP’s intervention in the state has not only improved the livelihoods of farmers but also contributed to the country’s food security.

“The programme’s focus on rice and cassava value chains has empowered farmers to produce high-quality crops, using modern farming techniques and equipment,” she said.

Dr Adejoh disclosed that more than 3,000 rice farmers have been supported, while a total of 5,450 of both rice and cassava farmers have been supported across the five benefiting local government areas of Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Olamaboro and Kabba-Bunu. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deborah Coker

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