FG, Partners Flag Off Farm Input Distribution in Gombe

Farmers in Gombe State have expressed optimism that agricultural productivity will improve following the launch of the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF), a Federal Government initiative aimed at supporting smallholder farmers with essential farm inputs. The programme, implemented through the Bank of Agriculture in partnership with Algir Integrated Services Limited, was flagged off in Gombe as part of a nationwide intervention designed to boost food production and strengthen agricultural value chains. The initiative is expected to reach two million smallholder farmers, with nearly 200,000 already benefiting, while over 1.1 million bags of fertilizer and 16,470 metric tonnes of improved seeds have so far been deployed across the country. Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Rabi Kabir said the programme goes beyond distributing farm inputs by providing financing, extension services, and guaranteed off-take arrangements to ensure farmers earn fair value for their produce. The Bank also charged Algir Integrated Services Limited, the designated Farmer Aggregation Company in Gombe, to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution process and support farmers throughout the farming season. The managing director of Algir Integrated Services, Garba Lawan said that his company will help distribute farm inputs to 5640 in Gombe State. Some beneficiaries and leaders of farmers' associations who received the inputs commended the Federal Government and its partners for the intervention, describing it as timely. They said the programme would go a long way in boosting agricultural activities, reducing production costs, increasing yields, and improving food security in the state. The beneficiaries also appealed for the programme to be sustained and expanded to enable more farmers to benefit in future farming seasons.