The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), under its Value Chain Development (VCDP), has initiated a partnership between cassava and rice farmers in Taraba State and Tita Kuru, a food processing company.
The IFAD state Business and Marketing Officer, Mr. Bedu Wiza, noted during the contractual agreement or MOU between VCDP farmers and Cassava and Rice Off-Taker in Jalingo that the idea was to sustain the desired quantity of production of the two crops in the state.
VCDP was established by IFAD to support smallholder farmers along the cassava and rice value chains through an inclusive strategy to strengthen the capacity of actors along the chain, including producers and processors, as well as public and private institutions, service providers, policymakers, and regulators.
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Wiza pointed out that the possibility of IFAD exiting Taraba in the near future is the reason for engaging farmers with off-takers who will support them with inputs to farm at a zero percent interest rate.
“The off-taker would provide input to the farmers, while the farmers would repay for the inputs after havest at a no interest percent, while the off-taker would be the farmers sole market point,” Wiza explained.
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The head of quality assurance at Tita Kuru Food Processing Company, Jalingo, Mr. Emmanuel Zebedee, while speaking on behalf of the company, assured that the collaboration with the VCDP farmers would create a boost for the company to meet her production demands in the country.
“We are proud to establish a contract with the VCDP farmers. We are committed to ensuring that the farmers enjoy the best they wish.
“I wish to also appeal for serious commitment among the farmers to avoid any breach of the contract agreement, as the company may be relying on the farmers for her production,” he stated.
