In a bid to scale up improved nutrition in Imo State, the Program Manager of Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC), Mr. Goodluck Ogu has called for partnership with Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) to enable more awareness, planting, consumption and commercialization of Vitamin A Maize (VAM).
Speaking when the CBC Program Manager visited Imo ADP in their office, Goodluck Ogu noted that the ADP are the knowers and doers in ensuring that Vitamin A Processors, Agregators, Driers and Feedmillers are organized and mapped for improved access to inputs and markets for Biofortified seeds, grains and food products by identifying and overcoming barriers to access and acquisition of Biofortified seeds, accelerating business development along the supply chains and ensuring iterative research and development services open to link consumer and processor needs for crops and product modification.
Ogu posited that the ADP has all it takes to cause farmers of Imo State to begin to plant vitamin A Maize, adding that once the farmers know that there off-takers, they will be motivated to obtain the seeds, grains and plant for healthy living and for making money.
“We need to begin to dry maize grains for future planting so that it is not about eating fresh maize but also to dry them at a moisture level”.
“We need to link the farmers, processors, aggregator, off-takers to key into the CBC project”.
Ogu hinted that the local implementing partner will be liaising with ADP on daily basis to ensure that the farmers know where they can store their foods and where they can sell, stressing that building of silos for storage should be encouraged for consumption and export.
He hinted that the value chain must be brought together for this project to strive. He said that they came to ADP to let them know about CBC project and to draw their support and commitment for the project to succeed. “Much as vitamin A is good for our health, it is necessary that we make money from it”.
In their remarks, the Program Manager and the Chief Crops Officer of ADP, Mrs. Nzurumike Henrietta and Nnaemeka Ononiwu respectively noted that they are ready to work with the CBC project as they have made in-roads in terms of making sure the intake of vitamin A Maize is increased, planted and taken for healthy living, adding that there is need for more capacity building for some of the farmers, aggregators, processors, EAs, Desk officers, among others. They hinted that they were happy that CBC is partnering with ADP for improved nutritional chain.
In his comments, the Program Director of Foundation for Livelihood Advancement (FLA) which is the implementing partner in Imo State, Elder Kenneth Amogu hinted that ADP will be of immense contribution and support to the success of the project, adding that the CBC project will be taking place in ten local government areas, namely: Ngor Okpala, Ikeduru, Njaba, Nwangele, Owerri North, Ezinihitte Mbaise, Isiala Mbano, Orlu, Ihitte/Uboma and Oru East. However, the project will expand to other LGAs.
