REDUCING POVERTY
PIND's interventions in the cassava value chain in the Niger Delta are designed to improve farmers' productivity and increase income for all sector investors. We partner with agro-input companies, agro-dealers, and suppliers of farm inputs (seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, machinery, etc.) to provide farmers with information, training, and demonstrations that will help increase the yield and quality of their products and their proļ¬ts. These collaborations also result in increased income for them.
CASSAVA Summary of
Outcomes:
NGN 604.65 million/USD 1.47 million in funds leveraged from the public and private sectors by PIND into the cassava value chain 24,325 cassava farmers reached with information about best agricultural and business practices, quality input, and new technology NGN 4.73 billion/USD 1.15 billion in increased income earned by 19,916 cassava farmers 1,545 new cassava value chain jobs facilitated
In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our farm service providers (FSPs) had to come up with new ways other than physical meetings to reach the farmers. As a result, we explored new platforms such as text/SMS (short message service), social media, and virtual meeting websites. Through these new platforms, farmers continued to receive information on good agricultural practices (GAP) and the support needed to sustain their business. After the pandemic restrictions were lifted in 2021, we maintained these new platforms and other limited, safety-compliant physical interactions to implement cassava-related activities. By the end of the reporting year, we had reached 24,325 cassava farmers with direct information, and 10,441 additional cassava farmers copied (modeled) the actions of those reached. Furthermore, 1,545 new jobs were created in the cassava value chain. We leveraged NGN 604.65 million/USD 1.47 million of funds into the cassava value chain in the reporting year.
ā
Anybody That Passes My Farm Has to Commentā¦
ā'I was teaching, but now I am retired. Financially challenged, I am now into the full farm business. I am married with children and as I speak to you now, I am inside my farm with my wife and two workers. It all started when we were gathered by one Eneremadu [PIND co-facilitator] from Eziudo Town, Ezinihitte, Imo State. She taught us a lot--even how to clear the farm, weeding, how to plant, and all the rest. Since then, I copied it and copied it vividly. And it has been helping me a lot. The way I am harvesting through the years after the training has automatically changed. People that have been copying from me can actually testify to that. Ever since the training, my system of planting and the number of cassava stems I was planting in a particular range is no longer the same. Then, the way of applying fertilizer has changedā¦we were even pouring the whole thing on a particular range, thinking that it's the quantity of fertilizer you apply that you will harvestā¦ so I have learned of all those things. When people are passing my cassava farm, they stop to have a view of it. I am telling you, anybody that passes across my farm must comment. Some will even try to take a little bit of my cassava stem.ā Orji Benjamin, cassava farmer (Imo State, Nigeria)
2021 ANNUAL REPORT
