RSG,US Partner On Youth,Agric Dev

Rivers State Government has commenced plans to partner the United States International Development Agency in exploiting agriculture as a way of providing employment for youths in the state.
Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Owene Wonodi gave the indication shortly after the State Executive Council Meeting in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the scheme is an exchange programme that would train youths in industrial farming such as cassava and snail farming.
Some selected youths from the state, officials of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Rivers State University of Science and Technology are to participate in the exchange programme which will take them to University of Arkansas, Mississippi and New Orleans all in the United States.
The Wetland of Senegal, a non-governmental group is to provide support as well. Hon Wonodi said the aim is to boost agricultural production and attract teeming youths into farming.
The visit would be followed by a memorandum of understanding, “ and when we come back we believe it will deepen our research and knowledge base and help us take care of what we need to know”, he disclosed.
He further stated that part of the plan is to set up demonstration farms in the three senatorial districts on the selected agriculture produce.
“We will look at snail production. You will find out that with a small piece of land, the youths if you give them N20,000 to N50,000 will begin to go into snail production for commercial production because the demand is high.”
About three communities he further disclosed would be used for test run noting that selection of the communities would be done after a careful study of their viability in such produce.