In a bid to harness and further develop the agricultural potential of Delta state, the state government has initiated plans to re-position its agricultural sector to be at the forefront in national food production via the agricultural transformation agenda .
The transformation agenda in the oil rich state is aimed at growing the state’s economy beyond oil, as well as empower its unemployed youths.
In view of this, the Delta state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, held an interactive session with farmers in the state, where he acknowledged that although the state is not exemplary in the sector, the state government will improve on its agricultural programmes and give necessary assistance to farmers.
He explained that the meeting was organized to know the challenges faced by farmers, the strategies put in place by the Ministry of Agriculture to curb these challenges and to hear from the state agricultural consultants on how the existing road map for the sector is being implemented.
The town hall meeting which held at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, witnessed a large turn-out of stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Various participants were given the chance to mention their challenges and suggest the way forward to improve their productivity.
The highpoint of the meeting was the discussion on how co-operative and cluster groups can benefit directly from the government agricultural schemes. Issues on nterest rates and collateral in securing loans from banks and other financial institutions were also discussed.
Responding to questions asked by the farmers, Governor Uduaghan said the state government was brainstorming with the financial institutions on how to help reduce interest rates and prepare standard bankable documents to enable farmers get loans.
He stated that his administration will provide the needed assistance to farmers especially in the area of providing them with agricultural tools at a subsidised rate.
Poor implementation
Briefing the meeting on the action plan of the Ministry of Agriculture in achieving the vision, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Barrister Misan Kubeinje said that they have identified seven areas of interest to assist farmers in the state.
He enumerated the areas to include cassava production, rice, plantain, rubber, cocoa, fishery,oil palmand livestock production. The Commissioner also explained that his Ministry was keying into the Federal Government Agricultural Programmes to support farmers in the state through the provisions of fertilizers, land, funding of cassava projects of which N2 billion have been budgeted for this year.
The Commissioner also observed that the Ministry will provide seedlings to farmers adding that approval have been given by the state government to purchase eighteen tractors for farmers.
A consultant for that state’s agricultural programme, Professor Ayoola, noted that the state was not doing well in the sector because of poor implementation of the agricultural road map of the state.
He suggested that measures should be taken to protect the agricultural programmes from external, political intervention and to address that issue of delay in funding the farmers.
Also speaking on behalf of the banks was Godwin Adolo, who advised that farmers need to form clusters and co-operative groups to enable them easily access bank loans.
He explained that co-operativegroups should be functional and committed to their projects adding that the re-payment period for banks loans was six months.