Law ToBoast Agric PPP In Agric, Underway

Plan to enact enabling law to encourage private sector participation in agriculture is underway in Rivers State.

The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi made the disclosure at the World Food Day Celebration, held at the Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt. The theme of the celebration is “Achieving Food Security in Times Of Crisis”.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to State Government (SSG) Magnus Abe, observed that the average farmer in the state falls within the age bracket of 50-60 contrary to what is obtainable in other civilised countries, saying that it is the intention of government to bridge the shortfall in the system by encouraging the operators of the private sector to invest in agriculture to boost food production in the state.

According to him, government is determined to pay required attention to enhance food production in the state, stressing that part of the government efforts towards achieving the set-objective in food security include the revitalisation of  Risonpalm Oil Nucleus at Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area and Delta Rubber Company at Umuayagwu in Etche Local government Area, in Rivers.

He further noted that government has procured 22 tractors to encourage mechanized farming, fish trawlers to boost fish production, appointment of private investors to manage the Borokiri Fishing Terminal, establishment of 16 Oil Palm Processing Mills in various locations of the state and training of youths for Songhai farm project in the state.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chindah said that the payment of the counterpart fund to the ADP by government signals government commitment to increase agricultural production in the state, adding that this gesture has ignited agricultural activities in ADP such as National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) Root and Timber Expansion Programme (RTEP), Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRMP) and Fadama III.

He further said that the micro-credit scheme of the state government though the micro-finance bank was designed to assist farmers and fisher folks access credit facility as well as support large farm establishments and cooperatives to get commercial agriculture credit facility put up by the federal government and facilitated by the Federal Government with a view to boosting agriculture in the state.