IITA’s Feed The Future Project Reaches Down the Grassroots

The quest to ending hunger for all and enabling affordable healthy diets for humanity can never be over emphasized, prompting the “Feed the future” project powered by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Recall that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned and expressed grave worry about the possibility of global food shortages as a result of the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine, calling the present food security situation, dramatic.

To ensure food security, on Monday, the nongovernmental organization called “Feed The Future, Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity And Partners” opened the 2022 annual Agricultural Inputs Fair in Yola, Adamawa State’s capital.

Mr. Prakash Kant Silwal, the Chief of Party; Feed The Future, Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, praised their commercial sector partners for their support and cooperation in ensuring the program’s success during his welcome remarks during the ceremony.

Prakash claims that in 2021, the scheme have received nearly 90% farmer acceptance, reducing malnutrition and providing economic opportunities for youths in Adamawa state.

He requested additional government support and expressed confidence that the program will continue to receive support under his leadership.

He went on to say that the program provides employment opportunities for women and youths by training them in a variety of skills.

In his remarks, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who presided over the show, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to improve the state’s farming activities.

The Governor, who was represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Livestock and Aquaculture, Alh. Usman Yaya Diyajo, praised the organization for helping Adamawa achieve greater heights.

Barr. DD Azura, a PDP senatorial candidate, encouraged people in Adamawa to engage in farming activities not only for food security but also to improve the economy, in a goodwill message.

To Azura, Some people believe that farming is solely for the poor, although it is a business for everyone.

Nigerians, he claimed, have no cause to be poor or hungry, given the country’s lush and agricultural land.

Alh. Bapullo Ribadu, chairman of agro inputs dealers in Adamawa state and vice president of Nigeria’s agro dealers, urged farmers to refresh their knowledge, attend agricultural programs to learn modern farming, and communicate with extension agents to increase harvest.

Bapullo praised the program’s organizers and partners for their vision in putting it together.

Mal. Baba Sahabo, who was trained in farming seed, thanked the organization and promised to put the knowledge to good use in a statement on behalf of the other beneficiaries of various skills.

So far, there have been 26,000 smallholder farmers taught in climate SMART and GAP in Adamawa state, with 37,034 agricultural households registered and 3,285 youth and women trained.

Feed The Future, Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity And Partners was implemented by IITA and ICRISAT, which is funded by the US government’s Global Food Security Initiative Act.

Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity

According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the project’s purpose is to help smallholder farmers and their families in Adamawa and Borno states improve their food security, agricultural income, and resilience.

The project will focus on three objectives to attain this goal:

• Improved capability of governmental and private extension providers to provide effective agricultural extension and advisory services to smallholder farmers, as well as increased availability and timely access to quality agricultural inputs.
• Strengthened market linkages along agricultural value chains resulted in higher income for farmers and better nutrition for consumers’ homes.
• Increased participation in agriculture and commercial agribusiness by youth, women, and the most vulnerable.

Expected results

1. Extension services will reach at least 40,000 farm households in 17 LGAs with at least three improved legume and four enhanced cereal crop types.
2. A minimum of five tons of improved legume and cereal crop breeder seed will be delivered to seed firms for foundation seed production, with at least 60 tons of foundation seed distributed to 1,000 or more farmers for community-based seed production.
3. At least 100 agro-input dealers will be trained to provide local advising services to at least 40,000 smallholder farmers in each state, and at least 10,000 smallholder farmers will have enhanced access to timely, affordable, high-quality inputs.
4. At least 5,000 people will have better access to financial services, especially women and youth.
5. At least 5,000 low-income families will eat more healthy meals and have better diets.
6. At least 5,000 people, predominantly women and youth, will take up new income-generating options like mechanization, agroprocessing, and providing agricultural services, with at least 200 women and youth trained and registered as farm machinery operators and mechanics.
7. A minimum of 500 producer groups will have improved credit and savings access to banking institutions.

More photos below.