The World Bank under FADAMA III Additional Financing has moved in to assist cassava farmers in Kogi State in the areas of land clearing and preparation, which have been the major challenges facing cassava farmers.
Disclosing this at an interactive session in Lokoja, the Kogi State FADAMA Project Coordinator, Paul Ogunmola, informed that Kogi State, as the largest producer of cassava in Nigeria, has been selected for participation in the FADAMA III AF due to “prompt payment of counterpart fund, government willingness to buy into FADAM projects, as well as general cooperation of beneficiaries.”
Under the arrangement, FADAMA III AF in conjunction with the State Government, provide tractors and allied equipment for the clearing, preparation and ridging of farm lands that will be used for planting of Cassava. About 5, 000 hectares of land will be covered under the ongoing project that will end in 2017.
Selected service providers are already assisting farmers in various areas on a 50-50 cost sharing ratio. The project has not only boosted mechanized farming, It has also provided improved cassava cuttings whose yields are several times higher than those the farmers were used to. For example, the Coordinator informed that over 30, 000 metric tons was harvested from one hectare of land early last month at Oghale, Kogi State. This was against the ten to twelve metric tons farmers were harvesting from one hectare in the past.
He further stated that the project has introduced the “novelty” of looking for off-takers: Before there used to be a glut, but now under the FADAMA III AF, before the farmers even produce, we go out of our way to source for would be off-takers. This has endeared the project to farmers who were initially skeptical because of past negative experience arising from post-harvest waste.”
“Apart from that, immediately they finished harvesting, lorries had to convey the stems to a starch company in Akure, Ondo State, where the starch content was measured and the farmers were paid on the spot. Our farmers are so impressed and thankful to the World Bank and the State Government for bringing FADAMA III AF on board”, he concluded.
