Rivers Registers 112,270 For GES

The Rivers State Government says, more than 112,270 farmers have been registered under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chindah, who disclosed this while flagging off the exercise at Okehi, headquarters of Etche Local Government Area, said that more than half of the registered farmers will benefit from the scheme this year.

Chindah also said that Etche Local Government Area will be the Fifth Zone to benefit from the programme since 2012, stressing that the programme has already been launched in Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Emohua and Tai local government areas.

According to him, the present administration under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is without doubt very passionate about the development of agriculture in the state.

“He believes that agriculture is not only a major way to reduce unemployment but to make food available for all at reduced cost”, he said.

The commissioner urged the affected farmers to go to the nearest redemption centre to redeem their fertilizer and seed inputs as the products have been subsidised by the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government says, it has saved more than N270 billion from food import this year.

A Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Martin Odey, who said this at Okehi during the flagging off of the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in the area, said that the scheme was initiated by the Federal Government to enable farmers get access to farm inputs such as fertiliser and seedlings.

Odey, who represented the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina at the occasion, urged farmers to avail themselves of the opportunities to improve their farm products.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Barrister Reginald Ukwuoma, represented by his Vice, Hon. Tonye Onyesoh, thanked the government for extending the programme to Etche.