IFAD pledges to support farmers in Benue

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Tuesday pledged to support farmers to boost agricultural produce in Logo, Guma, Gwer East and Otukpo Local government Areas of Benue.

Ms Atsuko Toda, Country Programme Manager (CPM) of the organisation, made the pledge when she led a delegation to visit Gov. Samuel Ortom in Makurdi.

She commended the governor for paying the counterpart funds for the effective value chain development programme of the IFAD in the state.

The country programme manager also commended Gov. Ortom’s security initiative that has ended the perennial security challenges in the state.

Toda said that the security measures embarked upon by the state government has restored confidence on the people and investors in the state thereby encouraging them to return to the state.

“We commend the security initiative so far taken by the state government that has ended the perennial security challenges in the state. This has played a great role for our return.

“We also commend the government for taking welfare of workers in the state seriously,” she said.

In his remarks, Ortom said that the government was committed to boosting the agricultural sector in the state to further improve the standard of living of the masses.

Ortom expressed government’s resolve to `massively’ go into dry season farming in order to make maximum use of the two major rivers in the state.

He commended the Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for approving soft loans for rice and cassava farmers.

The governor said that the government understood the benefits of the IFAD in the state and would do its best to support the organisation.