A World Bank-assisted project, Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS), is said to have empowered, trained and supported 17,467 farmers to boost food self-sufficiency in five years.
The State Project Coordinator, APPEALS, Mrs Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, disclosed this yesterday at a media parley, at the Lagos APPEALS Coordinating office, Oko-Oba, Agege.
Themed, “Zero Hunger: Forging Ahead Together for Sustainable Action,” she said that the project had surpassed its target of 10,000 beneficiaries at inception in 2017.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, focused in six states, including Lagos, Cross-River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano and Kogi is estimated to create 10,000 direct beneficiaries per state, with 35% direct beneficiaries to be women. It also targets 50,000 farm households per state.
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.
Lagos farmers
Sagoe-Oviebo said the farmers were supported in three value chains, poultry, aquaculture and rice, who benefitted directly and indirectly from the project since 2017.
She noted that the project has continued to promote productivity, enhancement of technologies and value addition through the demonstration of improved technologies.
She said: “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%.
“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 100kg to 140 kg, while broilers have increased from 1.8kg a bird per cycle to 2.35kg.
“The project has de-silted various drainage channels aqua for aquaculture farmers around Erunwen, Adamo, Igbe, Ijede, Omitoro, Parafa in Ikorodu 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.”
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.
Value chains
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.
“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 pelletized feeds, nipple drinkers and probiotics, and it has helped them to now produce poultry all year round, instead of seasonal farming,” she informed.
“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.
