The Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, ARDS, Federal Capital Development Authority FCTA, Lawan Geidam, has called on FCT farmers to embrace the opportunities provided by the FCT Fadama CARES Program.
Geidam made the call on Friday in Abuja during a training program on operation and maintenance of productive assets for beneficiaries of third batch of grant disbursement by the FCT Fadama CARES Program.
Represented by Mr Ishaq Sadiq, the Director of Finance and Administration, ARDS, Geidam said the training was to enhance the skills, improve the livelihoods of the farmers and ensure food security in the FCT.
He emphasized that the training program was in line with the commitment of the FCTA to facilitate agricultural development, particularly in the area of post-harvest produce handling and value addition.
He said the program had successfully disbursed grants to 7,383 individual beneficiaries from 109 farmers community associations across the territory, noting that out of the number, 2,789 have benefitted from assets for production and processing value addition.
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He said the program had also completed the provision /upgrading of water and sanitation in 10 wet markets with seven others at advanced stages of completion across the territory.
Geidam said the interventions were part of efforts by the ARDS to improve the lots of farmers and by extension, increase agricultural productivity and value addition to agricultural produce in the FCT.
“The ARDS is proud of the achievements recorded so far by the FCT Fadama CARES Program.
“We wish to commend your efforts and urge you to keep up the good work you are doing towards empowering the teeming rural farmers of the FCT,” he said.
The Coordinator, FCT Fadama CARES Program, Mr Usman Adangara, remarked that the training was organized to better equip the beneficiaries on the use and maintenance of the assets.
He said that 7,383 farmers out of the 12,283 targeted had benefitted from disbursement by the program.
Adangara expressed optimism that the program would meet the target before its expiration in June.
He said that no fewer than 242 farmers would benefit from the training program.
Fadama CARES promotes development in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture, as well as developments in such other areas as hunting, beekeeping, wildlife conservation, and downstream activities, including processing and marketing.
