Delta State government has pledged to partner private sector on agriculture and ensure the procurement of safer lands to boost food production in the state.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Perez Omoun, disclosed this on Monday while inspecting the proposed Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme, AADS, Farm Settlement in Kpakiama-Bomadi Local Government Area in the state.
He noted that the partnership with Afritropic, an Agriculture based Service Provider, would ensure the state sufficiency in food production, adding that the ministry would align with the M.O.R.E Agenda of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration.
He said that the M.O.R.E Agenda stands for; Meaningful Development, Opportunity for All, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced Peace and Security.
According to the Omoun, the inspection is to ensure that the land location for the agriculture project is not in flood prone areas.
He noted that all the locations chosen were safe from the perennial flooding, as the farms were on higher ground to ensure all year round farming.
“As the chief farmer of the state and having been appointed by Gov. Oborevwori, we are going to consolidate on the gains of the previous administration and do more in the interest of the people of Delta.
“On M.O.R.E agenda, particularly under the Opportunity for All, the ministry of Agriculture is saddled with the responsibility to ensuring that there is food security in Delta,” he said.
In order to achieve the set objectives, he had visited parastatals of the ministry to acquaint himself with the state government investment in the sector.
“First I visited the Green House pilot scheme for vegetables at Mbiri Farm Settlement, in Ika North East LGA of the state, which is billed to start soon.
“Afritropic provided 30 Green House tents at Mbiri, and we have another Green House at Agele, Sapele LGA, and in Kpakiama, Bomadi LGA of the state.
”So, I came to check whether the perennial flooding will impact on the farm settlement that the state government has acquired for the ministry. Hence, we defy the rainfall to visit Kpakiama farm settlement.
“We have inspected the farmland in Kpakiama, and we have seen that it is on a higher ground, so, no matter the volume of flood, it will never cover the farmland,” the commissioner said.
The Afritropic had been instructed to start the installation of the Green House tents at the Kpakiama farm to ensure jobs creation and food production in the next six months.
According to him, the farms will “create jobs for agriculture minded people” who are committed to food production under the M.O.R.E agenda of the governor.
He assured that food produced from the various farm settlements, mostly vegetables, would be ready for the market in six month’s time at affordable rates to cushion the current economic crunch on the people.
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