CBARDP spends N3.2b on projects

The Community-Based Agricultural and Rural Development Project (CBARDP) has spent N3.2 billion on agricultural projects in five states, according to the Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Arabi.

He said in Bauchi that the projects were located in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara.

CBARDP is the African Development Bank (AfDB)-assisted programme.

The Coordinator said the beneficiary farmers were drawn from 45 local government areas and 135 rural villages in the participating states.

He said the AfDB contributed N2.88 billion and the Federal Government N155 million while the five participating states provided N168 million as counterpart funds.

Similarly, the 45 benefitting local government areas contributed N50 million as counterpart funds.

Arabi said the fund was spent on crops and livestock production and infrastructure development and capacity building.

The fund, he added, was also used to buy operational vehicles and equipment, pay allowances and other miscellaneous expenses.

The coordinator described CBARDP as an integrated agricultural and rural development project designed to improve the livelihood and living conditions of the rural poor.

According to him, the programme targetted women and other vulnerable groups as beneficiaries.

Arabi said the project was in line with the Federal Government’s agricultural transformation agenda (ATA).

ATA, he explained, aimed at supporting farmers by enhancing access to credit facilities, inputs, new agricultural techniques and processing facilities.

“The objective is to contribute to food security through increased crop and livestock productivity, improve farmers’ income and ensure better living condition of the rural poor.

“Under the programme, 270,000 farm families were exposed to current agricultural technologies and how to adopt best practises that enhanced high yields.

“They were also trained on entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, to provide them with means of livelihood,”he added.

The coordinator also said that N1.08 billion was spent on construction of 270 km rural roads and drilling of 150 boreholes.

“Each of the participating states had 54kms of roads and 30 boreholes provided under the programme.

“These roads have enhanced evacuation of farm produce from remote villages, while the boreholes have helped to improve the hygiene of the rural dwellers.

The Coordinator also said N99 million was spent on crop production development outreach while another N63 million was spent on livestock production outreach.

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