. project supports 17,467 farmers in 5 years

By Jimoh Babatunde

As the World Bank Assisted Project, Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS PROJECT) enters its last stage, many beneficiaries are already clamouring for its extension.

The project, which is expected to last six years, is estimated to create 10,000 direct beneficiaries per state, with 35 per cent of direct beneficiaries being women. It also targets 50,000 farm households per state.

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The project is implemented by state coordinating offices under the state ministry of agriculture, the national coordinating office under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja and the World Bank.

To date in Lagos state, over 10,000 farmers have been trained, 2560 farmers supported with inputs and equipment translating to over 10,400 beneficiaries getting support from the project indirectly across the three value chains for small and medium-scale farmers.

The three value chain focused on in the state under the project include poultry, aquaculture and rice farming.

During a media parley recently, Mrs Seyi Ladega, a poultry farmer from Erikorodo Poultry Association, Ikorodu, said the project trained farmers in the estate on new technology for broiler production and business plans.

She said that the association and other farmers in Ikorodu would transform the area into a broiler production hub in West Africa by 2023, through the support of the APPEALS project.
Another beneficiary, Sadat Salami of Easy shop, Easy cook, who off-take broiler from Erikorodo and Catfish as well as rice.

She said as the project is rounding up that she hopes they get more grants to get across to many Lagosians

She said “before APPEALS, it was difficult for us to get good products to our customers. We were always having issues with supplies to hotels and individuals. Most of what we got was fake frozen chicken from outside the country.

“But with APPEAL, through training and the 15-ton cold room they gave to us, we were able to accelerate and serve our clients. The good thing is that we were able to get good poultry products from farmers in Erikorodo and we can assure our customers of high-quality farm produce from the farmers who have been trained by APPEALS officials.”

Also, Jolaoluwa Olumuyiwa, who is into aquaculture in Badagry said before the coming of APPEALS that they used to have an issue with the water, but noted that they have been assisted with good water treatment among others.

Sejiro Oketojinu, the chairman of the Ashford Cooperative for fish in Badagry and one of the beneficiaries of the Lagos APPEALS cage culture project said the intervention from the APPEALS is the introduction of new technology in fish production through the construction of cages for them, “ for our cooperative, we have 10 members benefitting from 10 cages and 1,500 pieces of all Tilapia fingerlings as input and probiotic fish feed.”

Speaking earlier, Mrs Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, State Project Coordinator, APPEALS, who disclosed the project had surpassed its target of 10,000 beneficiaries at inception in 2017, said she thinks the Lagos State government should find a way to extend the project beyond its initial six-year plan even if the World Bank stops.

While noting that farmers were supported in three value chains, poultry, aquaculture and rice, Sagoe-Oviebo said the beneficiaries included farmers who benefitted directly and indirectly from the project since 2017.

She noted that the project had continued to promote productivity enhancement technologies and value addition through the demonstration of improved technologies.

“Of the number, 7, 533 were trained, 3,950 were supported with farm inputs and equipment while 1,786 women and youths also benefited with some of them receiving startup grants.
“The APPEALS project has created 12,350 jobs across all its activities and also reduced the likelihood of being poor by five and 10 per cent.

“The productivity of rice paddy in the state has increased from 2.0 metric tons per hectare to 3.5 metric tons. Tilapia has increased from 100 kg to 140 kg, while broiler increased from 1.8kg a bird per cycle to 2.35 kg bird.

“The project has de- silted various drainage channels aqua for aquaculture farmers around Erunwen, Adamo, Igbe, Ijede, Omitoro, Parafa in Ikorodun and Ebute-Afuye, Epe and others.
“There has been a significant increase in the three value chains of the project in the state which are aquaculture, poultry and rice with improved technologies.”

Sagoe-Oviebo noted that the rice value chain had achieved a lot with the new Ofada strain which had multiple yields for the farmers, adding that the quality of rice had been greatly enhanced.
She noted that the Ofada rice could now be compared to the Basmati rice because of its long strain, single colour and taste.
She added that products in rice and aquaculture value chains had met the international market standard and presently enjoying export opportunities.

She added that the project also supported some farmers with colour sorting machines to make the Ofada rice presentable and marketable.

“Our target is to make one of our products get into the international market and we have been able to achieve this in rice and aquaculture.

“We have also supported our farmers in the poultry value chain with pelletised feeds, nipple drinkers and probiotics and it has helped them to now produce poultry all year round, instead of seasonal farming.
She said that in 2022, the project would complete the recently approved construction of 15 cottage industries approved in 15 different areas of the state as well as purchase transformers for farmers in Araga, Epe.

“On the plans for this year, the APPEALS project will be boosting farmers’ capacity to produce egg powder and also fish canning technology for tilapia.

“We will support some farmers with transformers, while more roads will be constructed for farm estates as well as jetty interventions at Afowo cage culture, Epe.

“We have a lot going on this year and several business plans will be approved for farmers,” she said.
The state project coordinator urged the farmers to own the project as it entered the final implementing year, she commended the Sanwo-Olu administration for supporting the project and by including more women and people living with disability as beneficiaries.