Benue To Establish State-owned Agricultural Programme

Benue State government plans to establish a state-owned agricultural programme to sustain the activities of the International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) beyond its lifespan.

The commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Benjamin Ashaver, stated this when he met representatives of IFAD-VCDP’s Women and Youth Networks i in Makurdi.

Ashaver said the government had appealed for an extension of the programme and prepared a policy document to be forwarded to the Benue State House of Assembly to facilitate the establishment of the programme, after IFAD-VCDP would wind down.

The commissioner also expressed satisfaction with the growing participation of women in agriculture, describing it as encouraging and urged young people to embrace agriculture as a means of livelihood.

Ashaver reaffirmed the importance of sustaining agricultural interventions to strengthen food security and create economic opportunities, for women and youth in Benue State.