How Benue Farmers are Reaping from ACReSAL Agricultural Support

George Okoh in Makurdi writes that farmers in Benue State are thriving through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, a World Bank initiative aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods in rural areas

In 2013, Philip Swende, obtained his first degree from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, formerly University of Agriculture Makurdi, in Plant Breeding and Seed Science. From Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA), Philip is 39 years old now, married and has three kids.

Though a staff of Makurdi Local Government, Philip says life had been challenging and so he had to farm to support his young family. Even at that it had not been easy, barely managing to harvest a little from his farm to augment what he spent on food. Beyond that, Philip organised a cooperative society, and they began making contributions, loaning money among themselves for farming and other agriculture related activities.

All along, the 39-year old, with his group needed support to grow. Then came Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL).

This is the second year of the implementation of the six year project in Nigeria, with Benue State only meeting requirement for participation because the Government of the State, under the leadership of Fr. Hyacinth Alia, paid the counterpart funding of One Billion Naira, indicating commitment for takeoff.

That was how Philip is today, an employer of labour.

“Fr. Alia is the best. He gave One Billion Naira that’s why ACReSAL has released the money,” Philip told this reporter, excitedly on his farm.

“It is benefiting people. People wait for me here so that they will work and get something. So with ACReSAL I am an employer of labour,” Philip went on. Over 10 workers were on the 10 hectares rice farm at the time of the visit. It explains his reference to “people” benefitting from the project.

ACReSAL project, according to the Benue State Project Coordinator, Bldr. Victor Ama, is a World Bank initiative aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods in rural areas. Ten communities, five each from Makurdi and Vandeikya Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state are piloting the scheme.

The objective of the project, Bldr. Ama explains is to provide access to agricultural credit and inputs, enhanced skills and knowledge through training and capacity building programmes, investment in rural infrastructure, such as roads, markets, and storage facilities, facilitating the transportation and sale of produce, support for value chain development, linking farmers to markets and promoting the production and sale of high-value crops and increased access to social services, including healthcare and education, benefiting poor households and vulnerable groups.

“With this, I can fly now,” says Philip, whose cooperative society, Kentors Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, is one of the benefiting cooperatives in Makurdi LGA. He is also serving as the Community Based Agent (CBA) (North Bank, Makurdi community). Other beneficiary communities in Makurdi include Wurukum, Adaka, Modern Market and Wadata.

Philip, who before the intervention was growing rice and maize now concentrates his energy on rice. With his group, they have cultivated 10 hectares of rice. 

According to Philip, “for the purpose of this ACReSAL project, we are farming rice only,” haven received the first trench of the loan (60 per cent of the total amount) on 1st July, with 31st December, 2024, set aside for complete refund of the loan.

“We were given the loan on 1st July. We are to refund everything by 31st December. We have a Community Revolving Fund Management Team that holds the money in trust for the benefiting cooperatives and only transfer to the accounts based on specified conditions,” explains Philip. He adds that the money is not to be taken back and will be available for other cooperatives within the benefiting community to access.

Another member of the cooperative, Ordam Daniel, 38, is optimistic that “in few years ahead if this programme continues there will be less poverty in the state.” Orwam has been farming for the past 21, haven inherited it from his parents. He is married and has seven children.

Ordam is thankful to ACReSAL for the loan and is praying God that “it gets to places it is yet to reach. I believe that it’s a good programme.”

He is excited that with the level of progress of the farm, they will be able to “pay back the loan and have a lot to help our families.”

Gbenda Andrew, from one of the beneficiary communities of the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) Loan in the Vandeikya Catchment Area says the ACReSAL intervention has impacted his community positively, leading to increased production.

According to Gbenda, with the intervention, production is sure to increase, with consequential positive impact on supply and economic return.

ACReSAL’s involvement with local farmers in Benue State represents one of the biggest interventions in improving food production in the state, be it by government or international support organisations.

The intervention is received with enthusiasm. Fr. Simon Peter Sesugh Akpenpun is one of those whose ministry is excited with the intervention. He commends ACReSAL, for introducing Climate Smart Technologies and methods through the provision of Solar-powered boreholes, solar streetlights, Community Revolving Funds, Climate-smart implements for agricultural practices. Fr. Akpenpuun represents a large congregation of Catholic faithful.

Thankfully, Ama says ACReSAL holds religious leaders and places of worship in high esteem, with high propensity for partnership.

“Awareness creation, sensitisation and support to farmers to embracing climate smart agricultural practices like agroforestry, farm ecology and pemeculture is necessary to enhancing food production,” says Victor Asobo, founder/Chief Executive Officer, Viktuwa Environmental Managers, who is working with the project in the state. 

According to Asobo, ACReSAL “programmes are community driven, with appropriate technologies. We have components like environmental education in schools, churches, and so on, on issues of disaster risk education and we are going into climatic revolving fund.”

ACReSAL may be invariably working towards checking rising food prices, with its intervention in agriculture in Benue State.

According to the World Bank Food Security Report in June 2022, “domestic food price inflation remains high around the world. Information between May to August 2022 shows high inflation in almost all low-income and middle-income countries; 93.3 percent of low-income countries, 90.9 percent of lower-middle-income countries, and 93 percent of upper-middle-income countries have seen inflation levels above 5 percent, with many experiencing double-digit inflation. The share of high-income countries with high inflation has also increased sharply, with about 85.7 percent experiencing high food price inflation (https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update).”

The report adds that the situation is worsened by the war in Ukraine, which “has altered global patterns of trade, production, and consumption of commodities in ways that will keep prices at high levels through the end of 2024 exacerbating food insecurity and inflation.”

This year, rates of produce have reached all time high.

Benue State Governor, Fr. Hyacinth Alia says his government is partnering development partners such as ACReSAL, to open up new opportunities for value addition and agro-processing, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. 

Fr. Alia, who a knowledged the resilience and dedication of Benue “farmers who work tirelessly to ensure food security in our State and Nigeria at large,” is confident that his administration has prioritised the agricultural sector as the lowest hanging fruit to catalyze growth and economic development of the state.

According to the Governor, there is the need to “encourage our young men and women to embrace agriculture. We are committed to making farming attractive and a viable means of wealth creation for all. Through various initiatives and support systems, we are ensuring that agriculture is seen not just as a profession, but as a gateway to economic empowerment and sustainability.

“We have the resources to turn our agricultural sector into a powerhouse of production and innovation. As I often say, with agriculture, we are too rich to be poor. We have fertile lands, skilled farmers, and a government that is willing to invest heavily in the future of its people. I want to assure every aspiring farmer that we are here to support you. Come, and we will provide you with the resources you need to farm free of charge.

“Let us all work together to transform our state into the food basket that is capable of feeding the entire nation and beyond.”

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The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project is a World Bank initiative aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods in rural areas….by providing access to agricultural credit and inputs, enhanced skills and knowledge through training and capacity building programmes, investment in rural infrastructure, such as roads, markets, and storage facilities, facilitating the transportation and sale of produce, support for value chain development, linking farmers to markets and promoting the production and sale of high-value crops and increased access to social services, including healthcare and education, benefiting poor households and vulnerable groups