THE FGN - WORLD BANK APPEALS PROJECT TO EMPOWER 300,000 RURAL SMALL HOLDER FARMERS

By Uche Isieke



According to a  United Nations  record, Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.

500 million small farms worldwide, most still rainfed, provide up to 80 per cent of food consumed in a large part of the developing world. Investing in smallholder women and men is an important way to increase food security and nutrition for the poorest, as well as food production for local and global markets.

It is by drawing strength from the SDGs 17 to ensure zero hunger and achieve food security as documented in the  United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially, goal 2 target 2.3, that the Agro Processing, Production Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support - APPEALS project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is being implemented with support from World Bank and other partners.

It is a five year programme ( 2018-2023) targeted at enhancing food security, local production and economic diversification. The APPEALS  project is said  to be in line with the Agricultural Promotion Policy - APP of the federal government.  The Green Alternative as otherwise called is designed to consolidate the gains of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda( ATA) of the Government of Nigeria.

With three thematic areas which focuses on Productivity Enhancement, Crowding Institutional Realignment; the Green Alternative priority would  be around boosting agricultural Productivity and improving farmers' linkages with agro -processors.

The APPEALS project aim is to facilitate a departure from smallholders farmers' production system( farming 1-5hectares) to a market
 oriented agricultural undertaking, as it renders supports to middle size farmers ( farming 5 - 10 hectares) to address challenges they face, as well as ensuring effective participation in the  Agribusiness value chains.

Presently, the project has six participating states   of Cross River, Enugu,Kaduna , Kano, Kogi , and Lagos.

Giving to the availability of funds and how successful it  has performed in  the pilot states, the project  may expand and accommodate more states.

The APPEALS project has eleven priority value chains: cassava, rice,ginger,cashew,maize,aquaculture, dairy and tomato .It is estimated to have 60,000 individual beneficiaries on the basis of 10,000 per state,and 300,000 small holder farmers as indirect beneficiaries; which 35 percent of direct beneficiaries are women with  an estimated figure of 21,000.

The project aims to scale up the Business  Alliance Model,successfully implemented under the Commercial Agriculture Development Project ( CADP).

The APPEALS project will provide technical support to farmers in terms of training for skill acquisition and empowerment along  the priority value chains, to enhance farmers' productivity,value addition and linkage to markets.