10,000 farmers to benefit from World Bank project

Not less than 10,000 farmers from across 50,000 households in Kogi State are to benefit from the $200 million grant of the World Bank assisted Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood improvement Support (APPEALS) project.

The project which is to last for period of seven years, is particularly aimed at supporting women and youth boost the production and productivity of three priority value chains (crops) namely, rice, cashew and cassava.

Kogi State Project Coordinator of APPEALS, Dr Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata while speaking at a stakeholders sensitisation meeting in Lokoja, said Kogi alongside Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Cross River and Lagos states were selected by the World Bank after a competitive process for the implementation of the APPEALS project effective from 2017.

According to him, the implementation of the APPEALS project in Kogi State is focusing on the three agricultural value chain which the state has comparative advantage.

Ozomata explained that the objective of the project was to enhance the production and productivity of farmers by ensuring that farmers are improved and move from subsistence farming level to small and medium scale farming.

“We are looking at giving grants to farmers and aside, we are looking forward to working with the real farmers and not political farmers. The project is also going to look at rural infrastructure for farm clusters so that it can enhance their farming activities and livelihood,’’ he said.