Rivers FADAMA Disburses N180m To Farmers

The Rivers State Fadama III projects Co-ordinator, Prince Kingsley Amadi, has said that about N180 million was disbursed to farmers in the 13 participating local government councils of the state between 2009 and 2011.

Break down of the figure indicates that N10 million went to Ahoada West Loca Government Area, Ahoada East had N14 million, Emohua, N26 million topping the list, followed closely by Gokana, N26 million and Ikwerre LGA with N21 million.

Others are Akuku-Toru, N7 million, Oyigbo, N18 million, Omuma, N10 million, Etche, N13 million, Eleme, 320,000, Degema, N274,000, Okrika, N1.2 million, and Khana N720,000.

Prince Amadi stated this last Thursday in a press briefing in Port Harcourt, organised to 350 FADAMA groups in the LGAs in the category of Crop – 180 FADAMA users groups, livestock  40, fisheries  45, processing  42 FADAMA groups and rural infrastructure  43. He noted that a total of 210 of sub-projects embarked upon by the respective FADAMA user groups had been completed, while 144 were on-going.

According to him, FADAMA III is a federal government programe, assisted by World Bank to develop the agricultural sub-sector of the economy and to be implemented using community-driven development approach within the period of five year, 2008-2013, with a view to increasing the incomes of the rural dwellers, increase food production, reduce poverty level and create employment opportunities for the youths and women.

He said that the project was hinged on five components which include capacity building which will improve their skills and get them informed on modern methods. Others, he said, are research and support which the ADP will provide them. Another component is asset acquisition which will enable them increase their productivity as well as project administration, monitoring and evaluation to assure compliance and proper utilization of assets and inputs. The last component is small-scale productive infrastructure investment which encourages farmers to enhance rural infrastructure like roads, culverts, market, bore-hole, bridges among others.