9,170 FCT Farmers Benefit From Fadama CARES Grants

Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has declared that within the first year of the current administration in the FCT, the Fadama CARES programme has disbursed grants to a total of 9,170 farmers in the territory.

Mahmoud who made this declaration at the flag-off ceremony for the disbursement of project grants to fourth batch of FCT Fadama CARES beneficiaries, also revealed that 3,150 benefited under the third batch while an additional 6,020 new beneficiaries will be provided grants under the fourth batch.

She said this would amount to a total of 9,170 beneficiaries during the first year of this administration, stressing that the figure indicates an achievement of 216 per cent when compared to the disbursement figure of 4,233 recorded by the programme in about 2 years before the coming of this administration.

“This is in addition to the provision of water and sanitation facilities in 10 Wet Markets located across the six area councils of the FCT,” she said.

Mahmoud, while speaking on the objective of the programme, said that the FCT Fadama CARES Programme was designed to increase food security and the safe functioning of the food supply chain in the FCT.

“The programme is deliberately designed to support the recovery of livelihood activities of poor and vulnerable persons engaged in agricultural value chains with special consideration to women and unemployed youth.

“Its implementation will be anchored on the World Bank community-driven development approach for deployment of programme investments at the community level,” she said.

She further noted that the programme is another significant indicator of the unflinching commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, towards ensuring sustainable food production through his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“It is in line with Mr President’s strategic vision that the FCT Administration under the leadership of the Hon. Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, is committing significant resources towards ensuring sustainable agricultural production as a panacea for poverty reduction and improvement of livelihoods for poor and vulnerable agricultural households in the FCT through the FCT Fadama CARES programme.

“This indeed is a clear indication of our administration’s commitment towards ensuring sustainable agricultural production for the attainment of food and nutritional security, poverty reduction and improved livelihoods,” she added.

The minister also emphasised that as part of the youth empowerment component of the Fadama CARES programme, the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is leveraging the programme to provide starter packs to 94 trainees of FCT – Leventis Foundation School of Agriculture, Yaba for the year 2022 and 2023 to enable them to put into practice what they studied in school.

Earlier, the mandate secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Lawan Kolo Geidam, informed the minister that under the fourth batch of disbursement of grants to FCT Fadama CARES, 82 farmers’ community associations across the six area councils have been selected to benefit.

He further said that within one year, 12,436 bags of NPK, 6218 bags of Urea, 18,654 litres of agrochemicals, 43,526 kg of assorted seeds, 55,400-day-old chicks, 7,756 bags of poultry feeds, 81,800 Juveniles (catfish), and 2,045 bags of fish feed had been disbursed under Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 2.1.

“Under DLI 2.3, 3690 Goats, 3212 sets of Farm Assets (Sprayers, Personal Protective Equipment, and Water Pumps and Accessories), 1006 Grinding Machines and 22 units of 2MT/hour multipurpose threshers were disbursed, while water and sanitation facilities have been provided in 10 Wet Markets across the six area councils,” he said.

The high point of the event was the distribution of items which include fertilisers, seeds and agrochemicals, sprayers and personal protective equipment to crop farmers.

Day-old chicks and feeds were also distributed to poultry farmers, juveniles and feeds for fish farmers, goats for livestock farmers and grinding machines for women processors.