By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA- The rejuvenated Anambra State Fadama III Addition Financing has been repositioned to give hope, succour and sustainable means of livelihood to about 5000 genuine farmers in the state. To ensure that the objective was achieved without hiccups, sensitization meetings with rice production clusters and groups have been held across the eight participating Local Government Areas of Ayamelum, Awka North, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ihiala, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Orumba South, which are participating in the FADAMA 111 AF.

Governor Willie Obiano with FADAMA officials

The state governor, Chief Willie Obiano has also given an impetus to the success of the programme by approving and paying the sum of N112 million as the state government’s counterpart cash contribution for 2015 and 2016.

Determined to ensure that the available funds were judiciously applied to take farmers in the state to the envisaged Promised Land, FADAMA has provided the enabling environment for profitable agriculture by providing the necessary technical assistance to the farmers.

In fact, FADAMA111 AF has proved to be the engine room with which the government would realize its agricultural dreams, especially in the areas of self-sufficiency in rice production and general food security.

The state project coordinator of FADAMA 111AF, Mr. Patrick Egbue said the position it occupies in agricultural sector is key to achieving a remarkable objective, adding that it has continued to make its mark, following on from the glorious success of the parent project, Fadama III, which recorded many achievements in various agricultural upstream and downstream activities, including farming, animal husbandry, horticulture, apiary, confectionary, fishery, market development, feeder roads, among others. The achievements, he said, gave birth to Fadama III Additional Financing.

Indeed, the huge investment of the government in agriculture, through the Fadama III Project AF, could be seen on the faces of farmers in the state, as the hitherto tattered and deshevelled looks of farmers have been turned into wealthy and cheerful ones based on their improved yields and income.

Communications officer for Anambra FADAMA, Mr. Nezianya Obinabo explained that over 2000 farmers have already enrolled for rice farming under the project and are already keying into the process of trying to realize Governor Obiano’s objective of realizing and ensuring food security in the state.

He said: “The efforts of the state government to end importation of rice, especially in Anambra State, are being applauded across the length and breadth of the state. The government is making serious efforts towards making Anambra State the first among the rice producing states in the country. Already, over 60 percent of the state’s population now enjoys Anambra Rice, a feat that was achieved through the unrelenting efforts of the State Fadama Coordinating Office, SFCO.”

Anambra SPC of FADAMA 111 AF, Mr. Patrick Egbue recalled that before the introduction of modern farming techniques in the 1980s, which meant moving towards adopting best agronomic practices, most farmers relied basically on subsistence farming.

He said: “They produced what could hardly sustain their individual households up to the next farming season. However, with the use of mechanized farming, improved seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, irrigation facilities for all season farming and other modern farming methods, our people gradually started to see farming as a business.

Commercial agriculture

“During the eras of Fadama II and III, commercial agriculture was top on the agenda. The use of farmer groups and cooperatives, to further achieve profitable and sustainable agricultural activities, got appreciable leaps. For instance, during Fadama III, a lot of capacity building activities were organized for the farmer groups and cooperatives.

They were encouraged by the supervisors of the Project, to take proper ownership of their sub-projects, through proper management and by making minimal financial contributions (beneficiary contributions) to the running of such sub-projects. They were specifically trained on how to run agriculture as a profitable business.

“The advent of Fadama III, which was implemented between 2009 and 2013, saw an improvement in the input and output of farmers in the country, including Anambra State. With the bottom-top principle, under the Community Demand Driven (CDD) approach, Fadama Users Groups (FUGs) and Fadama Community Associations (FCAs) were the drivers of the project, through the implementation of Local Development Plans (LDPs), which were the only basis for funding of any sub-project.”

Egbue regretted that while some beneficiary farmers keyed into how to maximize agricultural activities in terms of what they were taught. Others, especially those he described as the laggards and laissez-faire ones, believed it was business as usual and therefore paid dearly for it as the projects under their management were neither profitable, nor sustainable.

He observed that despite avoidable lapses noticed in some areas under Fadama III, there were success stories recorded during that period, adding that it was  the successes that led to the emergence of Fadama III Additional Financing.

The emergence of Fadama III Additional Financing, he added, is expected to ensure that the gains made under Fadama III were not only sustained, but made more profitable to the farmers. Continuing, the FADAMA boss said: “Basically, the objective of the ‘Additional Financing’ is to increase the income of farmers in the prioritized staple crop processing zone (SCPZs) on a sustainable basis.