Abuja — The Netherlands has announced a grant of E10 million (about N2.5 billion) over a four year period to the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) to develop agriculture in West Africa.

The money will be used to implement a new agricultural project tagged Marketing Inputs Regionally (MIR Plus), the representative of the Netherlands International Agency (DGIS), Mrs Monique Calon said in Abuja.

MIR Plus is a project which has entered its second phase and it is intended to contribute to the development of a sustainable and profitable agriculture in the entire region to reduce poverty and ensure food security.

The project targets include the linking about 2.23 million farmers to agro-input dealers and train them in procurement and product knowledge.

The ECOWAS project implemented by IFDC also plans to facilitate the development of a regional agri-input market to support the implementation of the regional agricultural policies.

The programme will result in 20 per cent yield increase for maize and rain-fed rice for targeted farmers in Ghana and Nigeria.

The project plans a 20 per cent increase in yield for irrigated rice for targeted farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IFDC Dr. Amit Roy said at the launch of MIR- Plus in Abuja.