Farmer Urges Youths To Embrace Agriculture

In order to stem the tide of unemployment prevalent in the society today, a local palm oil miller Mr Orlu Ezekiel has called on the youths to go back to the land and farm irrespective of their educational background.

Mr Ezekiel, who spoke to our correspondent  recently at his farm located at Ihubuluko  community in the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State said that for the past 7 years that he has been in the business of oil palm milling, he has been able to sustain his immediate and extended family from proceeds accruing to the business.

According to him, within the past seven years, he was able to buy 3 plots of land in his community, adding that presently all his children who were of schooling age were all in school “without much stress”, he added.

On how he plans to utilise the 3 plots of land that he has acquired over the past 7 years, Mr Ezekiel said that within available resources, he would establish a local oil mill factory on one of the plots and use the remaining two for palm oil plantation farm among other crops.

He further explained that he plans to approach the appropriate government agencies to enable him secure loan as according to him, it would enable him employ a small number of people to help curb the problem of idleness in his community.

While frowning at the attitude of some youths for engaging on unprofitable ventures, he said that he has always advised them to join hands with him but to no avail, “and that is why I want government assistance now to enable me pay for cheap labour”, adding that the move could lure them into the business.

He was of the opinion that the benefits of the local governments were not being felt by the people and wondered why the various councils don’t come up with programmes that would encourage the people to go to the farm instead of the waste of funds by the Lgas that was being reported almost on daily basis.

He said that he strongly believes that if the chairmen deal with the people through the wards level, by empowering them in agriculture and other related fields, the problem of youth restiveness would have been reduced.

He said: “Although I have not visited any farm owned by any local government chairman in my area or elsewhere but the stories I hear is that the farms are very big”, and wondered why other stakeholders were not given such opportunities.