Farmers with disabilities collaborating within the Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development-assisted Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, in Niger State have known as for higher guidance on planting intervals and entry to early-maturing crop varieties.
The name adopted poor harvests throughout the 2026 farming season.
The farmers made the decision throughout a suggestions train on empowerment assist supplied to individuals with disabilities below the programme in 9 collaborating native authorities areas within the state.
Mohamed Abubakar Enagi, Chairman of the Niger State Farmers with Disabilities and the director representing farmers with disabilities below the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, mentioned the group cultivated rice, maize, soybeans and cowpea however recorded various harvest outcomes.
He mentioned their rice crop, planted on about half a hectare, was badly affected by inadequate rainfall, leaving the farmers with little hope of a significant harvest.
Enagi mentioned that they had thus far harvested greater than 9 luggage of maize and eight luggage of soybeans on the time of the train, whereas the cowpea was not but prepared for harvest.
He acknowledged that late planting additionally contributed to the poor consequence, explaining that the group started planting in the direction of the tip of May.
“We need guidance on the right time to plant and the type of seeds to use, especially early-maturing varieties, so that we can improve our harvest,” he mentioned.
He recognized the price of labour as one other problem, explaining that farmers with disabilities usually needed to rent further staff as a result of they might not undertake all farm operations themselves. He added that some members had exhausted their sources and resorted to borrowing to proceed farming.
The chairman mentioned the group had obtained farm inputs and coaching by means of VCDP, however maintained that farmers wanted extra sensible guidance to keep away from losses in subsequent seasons.
The VCDP Rural Institution, Gender and Youth Officer in Niger State, Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar Ahmed, mentioned 262 farmers with disabilities had been listed within the programme’s database, with beneficiaries concerned in several actions throughout the rice and cassava worth chains.
She mentioned the programme had a devoted finances for supporting individuals with disabilities and listed fertilisers, herbicides, protecting tools, farm inputs and processing machines among the many objects supplied to beneficiaries.
Ahmed mentioned the programme recognized beneficiaries’ wants by means of enterprise plans protecting manufacturing, processing and advertising and marketing, whereas area visits had been performed to evaluate the assist supplied.
On entry to climate info, she mentioned VCDP despatched advisories to farmers however some beneficiaries won’t obtain them as a result of that they had modified or misplaced their phone numbers.
“The programme is updating its database to address the problem,” she mentioned.
Ahmed acknowledged that insufficient rainfall had affected the farmers’ output, including that some beneficiaries additionally planted late. She mentioned the programme had been coaching farmers to think about manufacturing prices, anticipated returns and obtainable sources earlier than increasing their farms.
