350 young farmers benefit from entrepreneurship scheme in Delta
Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
In furtherance of its economic empowerment initiative, no fewer than 350 poultry farmers in Delta state under the state government’s Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programmes (YAGEP) received economic lifeline from the state government while 200 others are on the awaiting list.
The young farmers who cut across the three senatorial districts of the state were presented with support packages to boost their farms and increase their yields, while poultry farmers were given 400 day-old chicks, drinkers, feeders and medications as well as 150 bags of feed each.
Executive Secretary, Delta state Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (DSMSMEDA), Mrs. Shimite Bello, while addressing the beneficiaries, said “it’s an empowerment programmes from the office of the vice president and I was appointed to handle the project for Delta state as focal person; there is a focal person in every state and the FCT.
“It’s the social investment programme of the federal government and the whole essence of the programme is to empower people in five areas. The programme is expected to empower about 44, 000 people in Delta state.”
She appealed to farmers in the state to prepare acquire part of the 40 per cent shares of the newly privatized Bank of Agriculture to join in the ownership of the bank.
According to her, there is also a job creation programme called N -Power for the youth, Chief Bello disclosed that about 13, 000 youth will benefit from the programme in the state and urged the beneficiaries to judiciously make use of what they were empowered with as the state government was committed to doing more for them in the area of agriculture.
