The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has approved a projected budget of ₦5.17 billion for its 2026 agricultural activities in Ebonyi State, to improve productivity, empower youth, and strengthen rice and cassava value chains.

The State Programme Coordinator, Mr Sunday Ituma, announced this during the state steering committee meeting on the 2026 Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) held in Abakaliki on Monday.

According to Ituma, the budget, prepared by the State Programme Management Unit (SPMU), will be jointly funded by multiple stakeholders to enhance the livelihoods of farmers across eight participating Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

“IFAD will provide ₦4.122 billion, the Ebonyi government will contribute ₦176.64 million, while beneficiaries will support implementation with ₦876.73 million,” he said.

A key component of the plan includes the provision of small-scale rice processing equipment, such as hauliers, destoners, weighing scales, and bag-stitching machines valued at ₦150 million for farmer organisations.

The budget also covers the procurement of two rice colour sorters worth ₦60 million, and youth enterprise equipment for processing vitamin A cassava, including ovens, extractors, gas cylinders, and weighing scales estimated at ₦22.5 million.

Ituma noted that the approved budget would next be forwarded to the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Finance for concurrence, followed by a final review at IFAD headquarters. Implementation is expected to begin by late 2025 or early 2026.

“We are satisfied with the steering committee’s approval. The next step is to secure federal concurrence and IFAD clearance before full rollout,” he said.

Since its inception in 2015, IFAD–VCDP has empowered thousands of farmers in Ebonyi, injecting more than ₦17 billion into the state’s rural economy.

The Chairman of the VCDP Steering Committee and Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Nkechinyere Iyioku, commended the team’s performance and urged an expansion of coverage to more LGAs, describing the intervention as “life-changing” for rural households.

Similarly, the Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Prof. Leonard Uguru, praised the programme’s over 90 per cent performance rating, urging other donor-assisted projects in the state to adopt IFAD–VCDP’s model of effective implementation and measurable impact.

Source: NAN