Delta govt distributes 140, 000 bundles of cassava stems to farmers
Urges oil palm farmers for CBN anchor borrowers
In a bid to increase cassava production in Delta, the state government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has distributed 140, 000 bundles of new improved varieties of cassava items to farmers across the state, Mr. Ausstin Chikezie, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources who confirmed this yesterday to journalists in Asaba, explained that the aim was to improve farmers’ harvest and to create wealth in the state.
According to him, “Delta State has ecologically been adjudged as one of the best in Nigeria for the cultivation of cassava, the use of local varieties have been prevalent in the state, and this has resulted in low yield.”
The Commissioner disclosed that Okowa led administration had approved the introduction of the improved cassava varieties in Delta State in the 2017 budget, adding that the state government was poised to intervene massively in the Agricultural sector. He said that beneficiaries of the improved cassava cutting would pay back with cuttings of equal pressure given to them, at harvest which would in turn be given to other farmers in the state.
Meanwhile, the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in order to ensure that the state government’s efforts at increasing cassava production in the state had successfully embarked on the training of Agriculture officers including block extension services officers as measures to improve cassava cuttings distributed to farmers in the state.
On oil palm farmers, the commissioner tasked them to take advantage of the CBN Anchor borrowers’ programme to improve and increase their oil palm production in the state.
He said that the state government would provide all logistics, within its power to ensure the success of farmers, especially oil palm farmers with comparative advantage.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the state government in partnership with the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural lending (NIRSAL) would improve on the anchor of oil palm farming programmes including its production, adding that under CBN Anchor Borrowers’ programme, oil palm was initially removed from the list of schemes.
He said that the state government would soon as a matter improving food production in the state on training programme for farmers to new innovations and technology in oil palm farming, stressing that the leading Nigeria Oil Palm Research Institute (NIFOR) would certify the seedlings to be supplied.
“Those who already had oil palm plantations would benefit from the programme as NIRSAL would gave them maintenance such as fertilizer and other farm inputs for better oil palm yield,” the commissioner added.
Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
