Omiete Joseph
Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii has reiterated the need for farmers to grow more food to avoid food shortage in the future.
The Commissioner stated this at the just concluded meeting of Commissioners of Agriculture in the six BRACED States held in Port Harcourt.
He stressed that efforts should be made to address the challenges encountered in achieving Agricultural growth such as land preparation and seedlings, just as he called on BRACED States for more collaboration in the preparation of green fields.
Kii who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Maurice Ogolo enumerated some Agricultural programmes instituted by the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, which include the formation of the Rivers State Economic Summit, visit to the 45 thousand metric tons of Rivers State cassava plant, the formation of Tax Force on the revitalization of the Rivers State Songhai initiative, the Rumuodumaya feed Mill amongst others.
Other Commissioners for Agriculture, including Delta State, enumerated some of the issues hindering the progress of Agriculture, which include: lack of raw materials, inadequate market for farm produce, and advocated for collaboration within the BRACED States.
In his keynote address, Prof Chukwu Igwe, a retired Agricultural
Economist Lecturer with the Rivers State University, said that to foster development in Agriculture, there is need to improve on existing machineries, improve on relationship with farmers, strengthen existing institutions such as FADAMA Projects and encourage research on Agriculture.
In his remark, the Director, Livestock/Veterinary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Godswill Ukoikpoko noted the need for professional Agriculturists to put in position to oversee agricultural activities, and appealed to the Commissioners to form union to drive policies of government to get to the grassroot.
Commending the Rivers State Governor for his efforts at ensuring the growth in Agriculture, Prof. Eustace Iyayi, a member of the livestock reform and implementation, stated that generating a data infrastructure to monitor rate of yields, strengthening research centers in the institutions of learning will also be a catalyst for bountiful yields in agriculture.
He urged the BRACED states to collaborate more with developed partners in food and livestock sectors in order to achieve sustainability in Agricultural yields.
Joe Keshi, the Director General of the BRACED Commission noted that their meeting is a reassurance that the BRACED states are on the verge to achieving greater progress in the Agricultural sector.
He further pointed out that donor agencies will not assist any project except when is a bankable one, and called on the South South governors to develop the political will to invest in agriculture and also enter into counterpart funding.
Keshi revealed that the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has announced its interest in financing bankable projects within the BRACED States.
The acronym BRACED represents the six participating States that include: Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta States.