ibironkeeniola 
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is set to provide digital agricultural extension services to about 1.7 million Nigerian farmers to sustain good agricultural practices.
A recently released statement by IFAD revealed that the agricultural services will be made available to the farmers through mobile phones, in order to improve their incomes and attain food security.
The initiative is in partnership with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD), a global non-profit organisation and is one of the 11 proposals to receive initial funding under IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF).
This empowerment will also be extended to Kenyan and Pakistani farmers, the statement added.
It stated that the beneficiaries will receive low-cost, tailored advice to improve on-farm practices, input utilisation, pest and disease management, environmental sustainability, and access to markets.
According to the statement, the project also seeks to mitigate the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the farmers, in line with IFAD’s RPSF.
It would be recalled that the RPSF, funded by IFAD and other international partners, is a part of IFAD’s COVID response, launched recently to ensure timely access to inputs, information, markets, and liquidity for farmers.
“Funding for these first 11 initiatives, amounting to $11.2 million from the RPSF plus $5.2 million in co-financing mainly from governments and implementing partners, will benefit an estimated 6.7 million small-scale farmers in developing countries who are adversely impacted by the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement read in part.
“Among the proposals financed are two regionally focused initiatives in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa that will provide emergency livelihood support through local farmers’ organisations, and eight country-level initiatives in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria, Palestine, and Rwanda.
“The majority of these initiatives, which are embedded in national COVID-19 response strategies, will be implemented through IFAD project teams and other strategic partners to ensure fast delivery,” it explained.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA