Delta Govt. assures affected rice farmers of support over flood menace

The Delta State Government has assured affected rice farmers of its support following the recent flood menace which destroyed their farm crops.

Describing it as a big economic loss, the state commissioner for agriculture Mr Augustine Chikezie told journalists in Asaba yesterday that the delta state government would support in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigerian anchor borrowers programme with those whose farms were affected by the flood.

He said that the state government was committed to providing such landing for affected farmers, adding that measures were under way to forestall recurrence of the unfortunate incident by relocating farmers to areas that are less prone to flooding. According to him “in our 2018 rice program, we plan to relocate these farmers to areas that are less flood prone so that they can make up their farm products very well.”

The commissioner also assures affected farmers under the state agricultural programe of government support, adding that the CBN Anchor borrowers programme was under insurance cover by the national agricultural insurance company (NAIC) but Barr. Raymous Guanah one of the farmers said they were committed to making delta state a leading rice producing state adding that proactive measures had been taking on their part to avert future recurrence by the procurement of flood resistant seeds.