Agriculture
‘Avail Yourseleves Of Our Services’
The officer in-charge,
Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NISPRI), Mr Simon Roberts has called on farmers in the state to avail themselves with the services of the agency for the preservation of their agric produce.
Roberts who spoke to our correspondent in his office in Port Harcourt recently said most farmers think acquiring storage equipment was expensive.
He said the federal government’s agency in Rivers State was out to help farmers reduce wastage of their farm produce especially during harvest season even as he called on farmers to visit the NISPRI office located at mile 4, Ikwerre Road Port Harcourt.
He said, over the years, the agency has fabricated a wide range of equipment for the storage of various crops and vegetables like tomato, pumpkin, mangoes, oranges, plantain, yams and maize, among others.
According to the NISPRI boss, his agency’s services to the public were free as that was one of the cardinal mandates of the organisation.
He said the only aspect that people would be expected to spend money was when they wanted to acquire the equipment for keeps.
He said under special arrangement and understanding, such members of the public or the interested farmer would only have to pay for the cost of materials while the agency does the work free of charge.
Roberts said this arrangement goes to prove that the agency was out to help the public and not to necessarily make money from them.
While listing some of the major challenges to include powers, finance and logistics he said the federal government needed to review its regular allocations to the Rivers State NISPRI office.
He also said reaching out to farmers in the riverine zones of the state has been a major challenge as it was not only tasking but capital-intensive.
Roberts, who is a food preservation expert, said since the agency has no vehicles of its own to navigate the delta terrain, of the State, it has become an almost impossible task to visit farmers who need its services.
Minister Of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe (right), with FAO Representative to Nigeria, Louise Setshwaelo, at the inception and sensitisation workshop on development of National Irrigation Policy and Strategy in Abuja recently.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.