FAO distributes food vouchers to 2,000 Borno IDPs

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Nigeria, Mr. Suffyan Koroma has said the distribution of fresh food vouchers was to boost access to nutrition by Borno Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and local farmers’ incomes.

N8,100 worth of food vouchers were given to 2,000 households drawn from Rann and Kukawa to receive nine commodities of fresh vegetables, beans, potatoes, carrots and onions.

Koroma, in a statement, said: “Our fresh food distribution is also promoting smallholder market participation, as we have focused on crops traditionally farmed within local communities.”

Fatima Mohammed, who fled from Rann three months ago, when insurgents attacked her Kalabargi Village, benefitted from the fresh food, which included eggs, sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots and tomatoes.

Beneficiaries, according to Koroma, were registered electronically and received voucher cards they redeemed on distribution days.

He said the fresh food was purchased directly from locations like Gambouru Produce Market in Maiduguri, with a food safety team monitoring the quality at point of sale and during the distributions.

He said during rainy season, 92, 000 households would be supported with seeds and fertilizers.