IFAD- VCDP commends Gov Kefas over steps to revive agriculture in Taraba
Mr Irimiya Musa, the Taraba State Programme Coordinator (SPC), International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Value Chain Development programme (VCDP), on Saturday commended Gov. Agbu Kefas of Taraba over noticeable positive changes in the Misistry of Agriculture within a short time in office.
Musa made the commendation at the end of a two- day training workshop for IFAD- VCDP staff from nine states of the federation on Crop Area Yield Survey (CAYS) in rice and cassava production for 2023 in Jalingo.
According to him, the governor’s steps such as changing of the name from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security would reposition it for greater Productivity.
“I want to commend Gov. Kefas for the practical steps so far taken to revolunilize agriculture in the state.
“Steps such as changing the name from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to Ministry of Agrivulture and food Security and appointment of a professor of Agriculture Engineering, Prof. Nicholas Namessan as Commissioner awaiting inauguration are turning points for the ministry,” he said.
Musa lauded the efforts of the participants from the VCDP states including Enugu, Nasarrawa, Niger, Ebonyi, Benue, Anambra, Kogi and Taraba for traversing long distances to the key training that would help in enhancing food security, saying Ogun
According to him, accurate data on crop yield was very important for future planning for greater Productivity.
Alhaji Lawal Tafida, the IFAD-VCDP Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser, told the participants to constantly share knowledge on CAYS with through field visits and social media platforms to strengthen the performance of all the intervening states.
Prof. Bashir Sani, one of the four professors, who anchored the training charged the staff to be committed to ensuring that the best agronomic practices where always observed by farmers in their areas for better yields.
The team comprising Taraba SPC, Consultants, monitoring and Evaluation officers, Management Information Officers, journalists among others visited a VCDP cassava farm at KOPI, near Jalingo,h where practical demonstration of CAYS was conducted.
