According to Acting State Co-ordinator of the programme, Mrs Abiola Adewole-Sobukola , the yield of Cassava production has increased from the initial quantity put at between 8 and 12 metric tons per hectare in 2015 to between 25 and 35 metric tons per hectare
The State Co-ordinator of the programme accompanied by VCDP Knowledge Management and Communication Officer , Ibikunle Faneye revealed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Abeokuta after a two-day media tour of the FGN/IFAD/VCDP Assisted projects in four local government areas including Ijebu-East, Ijebu North-East, Odeda and Yewa North, added that the programme also subsidized inputs of Rice Farmers by 50 percent and supplied improved variety of long grain rice seeds to enhance the growing of rice by farmers under the programme
She stated that the various interventions under the FGN/IFAD/VCDP had drastically reduced the cost of production of Cassava per hectare and address the price fluctuation of Garri, Fufu, Lafun and other derivatives from Cassava in the market
The price of per hectare of Cassava according to her , is now N60,000 from the previous price of N200,000
The State VCDP Coordinator added that others within the Cassava production value chain including Processors and Off-takers or Aggregators have been beneficiaries of the initiative
Also the VCDP Knowledge Management and Communication Officer said that Memoranda of Understanding MOU had been signed between Small holder farmers in rural areas and Off-takers under the programme, so as to ensure farmers producing various varieties of Cassava for local consumption and industrial purposes get adequate rewards for their efforts in farms
Similarly VCDP ensure farmers obtained credit facilities from financial institutions at single interest rate in addition to its various intervention projects including solar powered bore-hole and processing plants for both Cassava and Rice Production within the Value Chain
Some of the VCDP intervention projects seen on Tuesday during the two-day media tour to Kila in Odeda Local Government Area and Ayetoro in Yewa North Local Government Area included Solar powered bore-hole and processing plants
Secretary of Mutual Success Cassava Processing in Kila, Odeda LGA , Yusuff Kazeem speaking on behalf farmers in the cluster, said that the projects constructed have continued to ease the production and processing of Cassava for other derivatives particularly Garri, Lafun and Fufu
Similarly Managing Director of Ayetoro VCDP Cassava Processing Factory Limited in Ayetoro, Yewa North LGA, Elder Eweoba Timothy said that the production capacity of the Processing factory had improved drastically with the projects intervention while the solar powered bore-hole serves as additional source of revenue, aside the branded Garri product bagged in various sizes
The Assisted VCDP projects were also inspected during the earlier media tour on Tuesday to clusters in Ijebu Mushin, Ijebu East, and Atan, Ijebu North East Local Government Areas of Ogun State.
Speaking to journalists at Esure Market, where a block of 10 stores and solar-powered borehole projects were constructed, the Chairman of the Ijebu East LG Commodity Alliance Forum, Pastor Olaniyi Oluwaseyi, stated that a review of the antecedents of VCDP's past programmes revealed that after the exit of the donor, some programmes died down.
However, the group put in place by the Commodity Alliance of all farmers, comprising key actors such as transporters, herdsmen, security personnel, marketers, processors, and producers, has ensured sustainability of the projects.
He added that VCDP had impacted farmers in the areas of training and capacity building.
"The infrastructure they have provided, we believe, can only be sustained if we put a body in place that would continue after the exit of the donor," Pastor Oluwaseyi said.
"With all the knowledge we have acquired from VCDP, we should be able to sustain it. The training and retraining acquired by focus officers will be stepped down, and we will continue to improve on training and retraining all farmers on the ideas we have acquired from VCDP. For proper monitoring, we have instituted cooperative farmers, and we run it as a cooperative because we believe that whatever you invest in, you want to see it continue."
On the impact of the infrastructure and how the cluster has been able to maintain it, Pastor Oluwaseyi noted that VCDP's approach of dealing with groups rather than individuals has ensured proper maintenance of the infrastructure and enhanced the continuity of the program.
Also speaking, a member of the Operation and Management team of the Solar-powered borehole, Mr. Bola Babatunde Onanuga, described the VCDP project as a laudable assistance to the people.
"The project has really helped a lot, especially during the dry season. As well as during power outages when electricity is not available, it has been providing assistance to people to get water."
"We set up an Operation and Management team; I am one of the members, and through this, we have been able to manage the borehole."
Also at Atan, Ijebu North East Local Government, where a 10-block store and solar-powered borehole were provided for the use of the community and market people, Femi Onasanya and a market woman, Oluwaseyi Olugbuyi, in their separate remarks, commended the FGN and VCDP for the provision of the projects.
They added that both the traders and people of the community have been fetching water at all times compared to the electric borehole they used, which was always out of service when there was no light.
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