RSG Shares 80,000 Farm Seedlings

The Rivers State Government says, 80,000 Oil Palm Seedings are available for distribution to Rivers farmers and others resident in the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chindah, who disclosed this to The Tide at the Roll out of oil palm seedling for farmers in the state under the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) also described Risonpalm as one of the biggest in west Africa.
The Commissioner said that the government was collaborating with the Federal government to ensure that Rivers Farmers benefit and from the Growth Enhancement Scheme.
According to him, the development was part of the programme of the state government to ensure food sustainability in the state as well as drive away poverty.
He urged the farmers to be committed to the programme by planting the seedings given them.
Meanwhile, Mr. Emmanuel Chindah has described Risonpalm as one of the biggest oil palm companies in West Africa.
He said that Siat of Belgium, the new owners of the company, were ready to support local oil palm producers by continuously buying their stock.
The Commissioner also said that Risonpalm now produces 60,000 tons per hour.
In his address, the State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Elder Ime Umoh said that more than 500 Farmers in Rivers State will benefit from the Oil Palm Transformation programme this year.
Elder Umoh, who represented the Minister of Agriculture, or Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina at the occasion, said that the programme was designed to increase among others, vegetable oil production in the country, the yield and productivity of both oil palm estates wild groves, and arouse greater interest and engagement in marketing opportunities as well as create employment for youth and women to reduce poverty.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Barrister Otonyetari Okoye, said that people must begin to focus more on the agricultural sector.
Mrs Okoye said that the state government was ensuring that oil palm farmers got seedlings for their farms, and urged them to take advantage of the window provided by the programme to ensure food sufficiency and security in the state.