AWKA/Nigeria: More than 13,000 farmers in nine local government areas of Anambra State are participating in the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development Value Chain Development Programme (FGN/IFAD-VCDP), with stakeholders calling for stronger support for women to improve food production and household incomes.
The disclosure was made in Awka on Tuesday during activities marking the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer, organised by the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with FGN/IFAD-VCDP.
The programme, according to its Anambra Coordinator, Dr Deborah Onyefulu, covers Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Awka North, Orumba South, Orumba North, Ihiala, Ogbaru and Aguata Local Government Areas.
Onyefulu said women remained central to several stages of agricultural production and value addition, but their contribution could be significantly increased if persistent barriers to land, finance, technology, inputs and markets were addressed.
She said access to productive resources would enable women farmers to increase output, earn sustainable incomes and contribute more effectively to food security.
The coordinator also advocated greater representation of women in agricultural policy and decision-making, arguing that their direct experience in farming and food production should inform policies affecting the sector.
She said the 2026 international observance provided an opportunity not only to recognise women farmers but also to examine practical measures for improving their productivity and economic prospects.
Onyefulu urged more young women and girls to consider agriculture as a viable profession and business, noting that modern farming increasingly involves technology, scientific knowledge, processing, marketing and innovation.
“Agriculture can be modern, profitable, scientific and technologically driven and women must be at the centre of that transformation,” she said.
She added that supporting women farmers should be viewed as an investment capable of strengthening families and communities and improving food security.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Ben Chuks Odoemelam, said the state government recognised the contribution of women to agriculture and was working to address some of the challenges affecting farmers, including access to land and finance as well as the impact of climate change.
He urged women farmers not to be discouraged, assuring them of continued government support in their efforts to increase food production and improve access to healthy food.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Esther Onyekesi, encouraged women to participate in agriculture regardless of their professional backgrounds.
She said agricultural participation could provide additional avenues for women to achieve economic independence while contributing to the welfare of their families and communities.
A representative of the VCDP Women Farmers Network, Mrs Uju Nwankwo, said support received through the programme had enabled some beneficiaries to expand their agricultural activities.
She listed entrepreneurship training, farm inputs, access to land and credit facilities among the forms of assistance available to participating farmers.
Nwankwo said some women had also moved beyond primary production into agro-processing and other forms of agricultural value addition.
She expressed appreciation to the programme and the state government for supporting women farmers and encouraged beneficiaries to remain committed to improving food production.
The event included an exhibition of agricultural produce and processed products, alongside the presentation of awards to some outstanding female farmers in the state.
