From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Farmers in the rice value chain have expressed delight with the ongoing Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihoods Support (APPEALS) project in the state.
The APPEALS is a six-year project developed by Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the World Bank to support the policy thrust on food security, export promotion and livelihood improvement.
Appraising the intervention, the farmers said they have been experiencing increased yield, better grain quality, reduction in wastages, improved time management and increased income translating to better livelihoods for farmers and their families.
One of the farmers, Eni Ugobo, the chairman of the Idomi cluster rice value chain, said they now produce their rice faster and there is a huge reduction in wastages.
He added that the new technique they now deploy courtesy of the interventions by the APPEALS project has led to more efficiency.
“Before APPEALS intervention, rice production was cumbersome and output was low because we (farmers) engaged manual labourers, which were costly if they do not disappear after collecting advance payment. It was a very big problem.
“When APPEALS project came, we started using the machines we got and the work is now done faster. What we used to accomplish in three days, we get done in just a day.
“Our rice is better packaged because we are able to destone. As I speak to you, we have patronage from all over the state and outside.
“Also there is no more waste. Before now, the way we parboil rice resulted to huge wastage. However, with the intervention, the technique used eliminates waste and the paddy waste that is the bran, which were thrown away prior to APPEALS intervention, are now being used as ‘firewood’ for cooking, life is generally better now,” Ugobo stressed.
Also speaking, the cluster chairman of Ekureku-Anon One cluster in Abi local government area, Mr. Samuel Elemi attested to the benefit accrued to the farmers, who despite the recent flood, were engaged delighted to remain in business at the mill.
“We used to harvest 37 bags per hectare now we harvest nearly 50 bags. Overall, the interest we share is much better now.
“It was not like before when we were collecting loans to repay at high interest rate. But, I can tell you confidently that we are upgrading,” he said.
They however appealed to the Nigerian Government and the World Bank to provide additional support to enhance expansion especially for those beneficiaries that were serious with the programme.
Similarly, Gloria Ogban the rice value chain facilitator in the Cross River APPEALS project, Mrs. the intervention was providing technical support, training the beneficiaries on how to effectively apply the machines to add value to the produce and create profitable linkages to markets.
Six states in Nigeria are beneficiaries of the present batch of the project.
They are Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and Lagos.
Over 9,000 beneficiaries including women and youths have received the intervention in rice, cocoa and poultry value chains across the country.