The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through its Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), has contributed over N16 billion to Benue State's economy between 2016 and 2024 via the Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF).
National Programme Coordinator, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, disclosed this in Makurdi during a policy dialogue on VCDP interventions. She revealed that the programme has boosted food security with 99,452 metric tonnes of rice valued at N13.5 billion and 87,237 metric tonnes of cassava worth N3.9 billion.
Aliyu, however, noted that CAF lacks a legal and policy framework within Benue's agricultural system, limiting its ability to serve as a long-term driver of inclusive agricultural growth. She urged stakeholders to integrate CAF into state agricultural policy and secure legal backing through legislation.
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State Programme Coordinator, Dr. Emmanuel Igbaukum, confirmed that plans are underway to institutionalise CAF, the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), and nutrition into state policy.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture assured farmers that counterpart funding and subsidised inputs would be sustained to strengthen productivity.
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