From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The International Fund for Agriculture Development – Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), has distributed tricycles to farmers, processors and marketers in Kogi to reduce burdens of subsidy removal, and improve their well-beings and livelihoods.
The distribution was flagged off by Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Timothy Ojoma, at FGN/IFAD-VCDP office in Lokoja yesterday.
The commissioner commended the VCDP for the gesture saying the tricycles would be more appropriates to convey the farm produce to markets.
Ojoma advised the beneficiaries not to sell the tricycles but to maintain it, and use it to achieve the intended purposes of improving their wellbeing and reduce poverty.
He urged them to handle the tricycles with care by taking ownership of them for their own benefits and that of their families and the state at large.
The commissioner commended the VCDP for partnering with the State Government in empowering farmers in the state, assuring them of Government’s continuous support.
Ojoma praised Gov. Yahaya Bello for keying into the VCDP and others Agricultural intervention Programmes in the state to improve the wellbeing of the people.
Earlier, the State Programme Coordinator IFAD-VCDP, Dr Stella Adejoh, said the beneficiaries cut across the five local government areas where VCDP is operating at the moment .
According to her, the local government areas include: Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Olamaboro and Kabba/Bunu, adding that a total of 15 tricycles have so far been distributed.
She noted that the tricycles were not totally free, but the beneficiaries paid a matching grant of 30 per cent of the total cost while the VCDP paid the remaining 70 per cent.
