Anambra State farmers are increasingly processing cassava, rice and other farm produce into marketable products to boost income and create jobs.
Deborah Onyefulu, State Programme Coordinator of the International Fund for Agricultural Development Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), stated this at a two-day Interactive Commodity Promotion Show and Agricultural Fair in Awka.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation, Processing and Export.
Onyefulu, represented by the Acting State Business and Market Development Officer, Mary Obiekwe, said the fair was designed to promote farmers, create market opportunities and assess the impact of training provided under the programme.
She said the initiative was strengthening the rice and cassava value chains by equipping farmers with skills to process farm produce into products such as cassava moi-moi, chin-chin, cake and chocolate.
Farmers from nine participating Local Government Areas, including Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Orumba North, Awka North, Orumba South, Ihiala, Ogbaru and Aguata, participated in the fair.
John Okafor, Director of Agro Market Square, said the quality of products from Anambra farmers had improved significantly in recent years.
He urged the government to provide more training, funding and agricultural inputs to sustain the progress.
Nnaemeka Agundu, a farmer from Awka North, said the VCDP training had improved his knowledge of processing, packaging and marketing, helping him expand his agro-business and increase his income.
At the end of the assessment, Orumba South emerged first, followed by Ihiala and Aguata in second and third positions respectively.