Agriculture
Poultry Farmers Get 40,000 Birds As Grant In Cross River
Over 1,000 poultry farmers in Cross River State, brought under seven different clusters, have been supported with a grant of 40,000 birds.
The Tide’s source disclosed that the farmers are to grow the birds in the State Government-owned ultramodern poultry farm named Calachika.
According to the source, the 40,000 birds, which are all broilers, is a grant under the World Bank assisted Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project.
Speaking the State Deputy Governor, Ivara Esu, noted the initiative will ensure constant production and supply of matured poultry birds to feed the chicken processing plant that has already been put in place and operational at the Ayade’s Industrial park.
According to him, the State Government “is happy that a lot of the farmers that belong to the clusters are youths, because Governor Ben Ayade has been passionate about youth engagements and empowerment”.
Esu commended the World Bank and the management of the Appeals Project, both at the national and the state level, noting that many have been engaged and made more efficient in the chosen agricultural value chain through different Appeals initiative, which cuts across such areas as poultry, rice, and cocoa value chain.
The Deputy Governor charged the farmers to pay good attention to things they have to do in order to prevent infection in the poultry and reasonably reduce the mortality rate.
National Coordinator of the Appeals Project, Alhaji Muhammad Jordi, on his part, said bringing over a thousand farmers together under different clusters to teach them and help them manage their chosen business is a commendable initiative of the Cross River State Government, noting that the Appeals Project in the State “has been exemplary”.
The State Project Coordinator of APPEALS, Mr. Marcel Agim, noted that the farmers know what to do in different clusters and that the 40,000 birds will be doubled in two to three weeks time.
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.
