IFAD Trains 25 Niger Deltans On Agric Dev

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)/Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)/Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)/Community Based Natural Resources Management Programme (CBNRMP) says it has sponsored 25 youths from the Niger Delta for training in crops, livestock and aquaculture at the Rivers State Government Songhai farm in Bunu Tai in Tai Local Government area, Rivers State.

The Programme Co-ordinator of IFAD/FGN/NDDC/Community Based Natural Resources Management Programme in the Niger Delta, Mrs Irene Ibifuro Jumbo – Ibeakuzie disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt.

Mrs Jumbo – Ibeakuzie said that the beneficiaries were the first batch of the organisation’s training programme for youths from its participating communities which, according to her, was in keeping with the spirit of the collaboration with Songhai farms.

She also said that the training programme which commenced last Monday is expected to end on July 16, 2011 adding that the agricultural training programme would go a long way in tackling poverty, unemployment and hunger which is threatening most countries of the world.

Commenting on government’s diversification into agricultural economy, the agricultural expert stressed the need for government to curb post harvest losses by providing relevant and affordable storage facilities.

She further wants government to make inorganic fertiliser available and affordable as well as encourage the preparation and use of organic fertiliser if the target of eradicating poverty, hunger and unemployment is to be achieved by government at all levels.

The IFAD programme coordinator advocated for facilitation of access to credits with single digit interest rate for all the actors in the agricultural sector while scholarships should be offered to students of agriculture and other related courses so as to raise a new generation of farmers in the country. In the same vein, she was of the view that farming should be made a  business and not as subsistence in order to arouse greater interest by the stakeholders, especially rural communities.

Isaac Nwankwo