RSG To Establish Farms In Schools

The Rivers State Govern
ment has expressed its commitment toward actualising the state Ministry of Agriculture’s School Farm Project across the 23 local government areas of the state.
In  a statement obtained recently in Port Harcourt by our correspondent, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Barr Onimim Jack  expressed her willingness and passion to enhance the status of the agriculture sector in the state with a view to restoring the lost glory of agriculture.
According to the statement, the significance of grassroots awareness, creation and mobilization on agriculture related matters prompted the school farm project initiative.
The project is structured in such a way that all well-meaning agriculture stakeholders in the state would continuously play active roles in every aspect of the project.
In a bid to ensuring sustainability of the project, the commissioner has extended strong hands of partnership and collaboration with the principals and agriculture teachers from government secondary schools in the state.
Currently, the ministry says about 72 schools have shown strong willingness and preparedness to partner with the ministry and suitable farm enterprise(s) have been earmarked for these schools.
According to the statement, the purpose of the school farm project is to promote grassroots agricultural awareness among the next generation and expose them to improved agricultural technologies and practices.
The project also aims at inculcating and equipping the students with adequate entrepreneurial skills in agriculture related activities prior to their point of entrance into higher institutions of learning.
“This we believe will help to inspire and prepare more students to seek for admission into the field of agriculture at the University of College of Agriculture” the statement said.
As part of project  sustainability factor, training and re-training of agricultural science teachers on improved agricultural practices have been captured as an intergral component  of the project.
The ministry is already in collaboration with individuals, corporate bodies, non-governmental organizations and other government agencies within and outside the state to advance the project to all government schools across the state.
However, four schools have already been selected for the pilot programme.
They are Government Girls Secondary School Rumuokwuta (Fishery), Government Secondary School, Eneka (Vegetable and Arable Crop Production), Comprehensive Secondary School, Borikiri (Rabbitry) and Federal College of Education (FCOE) Demonstration Secondary School, Omoku (Poultry).