HortiNigeria targets 9.7m euros income for smallholder farmers

The Program Director of HortiNigeria, Mr Mohammed Idris, says the HortiNigeria project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is targeting 9.7 million euros income for smallholder farmers in Nigeria.

Idris said this on Wednesday, at a press conference ahead of the launch of HortiNigeria in Abuja.

He said the embassy had awarded the HortiNigeria Program to International Fertiliser Development Center (IFDC) and its consortium partners East-West seed Knowledge Transfer, Wageningen University and Research; and KIT Royal Tropical Institute.

Idris said the program aimed at supporting Nigeria in building a sustainable and gender-and youth- inclusive horticulture sector that contributed to nutritional and food security in the country.

He said at the end of 2025, HortiNigeria would motivate about 60,000 farmers producing more and better-quality vegetables for the market, with an annual incremental value of 9.7million Euros.

According to Idris, the project which is projected to generate 9.7 million Euros is being implemented by the IFDC in four states of the Federation and would last for four years.

“HortiNigeria is implemented in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo states, focusing on tomato, okra, onion, and pepper value chains, and will work through four components.

“All activities are focused on vegetables for domestic markets.

“The program intends to boost the productivity and income of 60,00 smallholder farmers (50 per cent youths and 40 per cent women) by introducing eco-efficient agronomic practices.

“Acreage under sustainable cultivation will be increased by 15,000 hectares,” he said.

Idris said the project is expected to reduce the seasonal risks by promoting innovations and regional diversifications to 2,000 entrepreneurial farmers.

“The program will increase access to finance for 50 agricultural-related SMES, enhance sector coordination and will facilitate 200 business- to -business linkages in all the four participating states,” he said.

Mariska Lammers, the Embassy of the Netherlands’ First Secretary on Food Security and Climate, described the program as part of an enhancement in the bilateral relations between The Netherlands and Nigeria.

“It is very exciting to see our largest food security program in Nigeria taking off, the horticulture sector here offers many opportunities and we believe The Netherlands can add the most value,” Lammers said.

The official said that Nigeria is currently unable to meet the local demand for vegetables with a supply gap of 13 million metric tons.

Lammers said that the participating farmers would be youths and women.

He said they constituted the key to transforming and accelerating the development of a vibrant vegetable sector, benefiting the rural communities in which they live as well as the entire country.