The Federal Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, has distributed improved farm inputs and 22 tricycles to 1,918 farmers in Nasarawa State to boost rice and cassava production during the 2026 wet farming season.

The intervention, implemented under the Value Chain Development Programme with additional financing, targets farmers in Lafia, Doma, Wamba, Karu and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.

Speaking during the distribution ceremony in Lafia on Tuesday, the State Programme Coordinator of the FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Dr Eunice Adigizi, said the support would cover the cultivation of 195 hectares of rice and 140 hectares of cassava across the benefiting communities.

According to Adigizi, beneficiaries comprise 31 rice farmer organisations and 23 cassava farmer organisations drawn from 76 farmer groups.

She explained that the programme supplied 9,750 kilogrammes of certified rice seeds, 7,000 bundles of improved cassava stems, 670 litres of herbicides, 1,340 bags of NPK fertiliser and 390 bags of urea fertiliser to improve agricultural productivity.

Adigizi added that 22 tricycles were also presented to farmer organisations to ease transportation, aggregation and marketing of produce along the rice and cassava value chains.

She noted that the initiative is intended to provide farmers with timely access to quality inputs, reduce production costs, minimise post-harvest losses and improve household incomes.

Urging beneficiaries to maximise the intervention, she said, “We therefore urge every beneficiary to make judicious use of these assets strictly for the purpose for which they are provided, so that the objectives of the programme can be fully realised.

She stated, “Also, today, we are presenting the sum of N1.2 million to people with disabilities in Nasarawa State. This is evidence that the governor is farmer-friendly. I wish to sincerely appreciate His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, for his unwavering support and commitment towards agricultural development.

“To our farmers, you remain the backbone of our economy. Your resilience, commitment and hard work continue to inspire us. We encourage you to adopt the improved technologies introduced by the programme, utilise the inputs responsibly, and continue working together through your farmer organisations to maximise the benefits of these interventions.”

The National Programme Coordinator of the FGN/IFAD-VCDP, Fatima Aliyu, represented by the Rural Institutions, Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Adviser, Musa Dalang, commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for consistently paying the state’s counterpart funding for the programme.

She appealed to the state government to sustain the initiative after its expected conclusion in December 2026 by converting it into a state agency that would preserve its achievements and expand its reach.

Aliyu also advised beneficiaries against selling the distributed items, urging them to use the support to improve productivity and livelihoods.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Umaru Tanko-Tunga, described agriculture as the backbone of Nasarawa’s economy and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting farmers through strategic partnerships.

He said the distribution of quality inputs and tricycles would enhance productivity, improve logistics, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen the rice and cassava value chains.

Tanko-Tunga also announced that the state government had fulfilled its earlier pledge of N1.2 million to support persons with disabilities, a commitment made during the visit of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security earlier this year.

“The Value Chain Development Programme has consistently delivered remarkable results through investments in rice and cassava production, farmer capacity development, rural infrastructure, market access, climate-smart agriculture and institutional strengthening.

“The distribution of quality farm inputs and tricycles today will further enhance productivity, improve logistics within the value chain, reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers’ incomes.

“I wish to commend the FGN/IFAD VCDP National Programme Coordination Office, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and particularly the State Programme Coordination Office under the capable leadership of Dr Eunice Adigizi for their commitment, professionalism and dedication to the successful implementation of this programme in Nasarawa State,” he said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Nasarawa State Disability Rights Commission, Saleh Barde-Keana, praised the programme for promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities and called for expanded opportunities.

Some beneficiaries, including cassava farmer and person with disability Margaret Oshawa from Doma LGA and Joel Wahe from Wamba LGA, said the programme had improved their farming activities through training, better inputs and modern farming practices.

They pledged to make effective use of the support to increase production and improve their incomes.

The FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme is a joint intervention designed to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by increasing productivity, strengthening value chains and expanding market access, with a major focus on rice and cassava production in participating states.