By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The International Fund for Agricultural Production,IFAD,is to invest over N300million to boost rice and cassava production in Benue State.

Benue State   IFAD Project Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Igbaukum, who made this known, yesterday, at a two-day Partnership/Alliance and Business Transaction Meeting between farmers and investors in the agricultural sector, said the fund was intended for small scale farmers.

He noted that the IFAD, in collaboration with the Federal Government, would invest the amount through its Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, to enable more than 3,500 profiled farmers access the fund.

Igbaukum said, “This meeting is therefore an innovation geared towards linking farmers to markets and is also intended to ensure that all key stakeholders come to a round table to discuss their constraints and at the end of the day come out with a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU.”

Speaking, also at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Judith Hinyam, said the administration has approved over N166million as its counterpart fund to the VCDP.