…..Commission partners farm holdings to boost food security
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said it has commenced arrangements with large-scale farm holdings in the region to boost food security and agro-allied products in the country.
The NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs Winifred Madume, stated this after a working visit to some notable farm holdings on Wednesday in Delta.
The farms visited included the Adventium Songhai Delta Nigeria Limited, Emmppek Farms and Okemute Farms, all in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta.
Madume said the visit was to assess the infrastructural facilities of the farms and the readiness of the owners to key into the commission’s initiative.
Addressing the farm owners at their respective farms, Madume said the food security agenda was initiated by the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku.
She said that the scheme is in line with the policy of the Federal Government which demands stakeholders’ engagement in the development process.
Madume said the aim of the agricultural intervention was also to educate the teeming youths of the region on the business aspects of agriculture to make it more attractive to them.
“NDDC is interfacing with the identified farm holdings in the region on their challenges, areas of needs and why the nation is still unable to feed its people.
“The commission’s working tour is to explore areas of collaboration mainly on how to absorb agro-allied trainees.
“It is also to organise necessary training for prospective farmers, particularly interested retirees,” she said.
The director said that the agricultural programme was going on simultaneously in Imo, Abia, Edo and Ondo State.
“At the end of the day, we will collate various field reports and make our presentations to the Group Managing Director for action to ensure food security in the region and Nigeria at large,”she said.
Responding, Dr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, the Managing Director of Emmppek Farms said the farm currently has two pens with capacity for 100,000 birds.
He said that the farm also has a feed mill that caters for the feeding of the poultry products as well as engages in commercial production of egg powder from raw eggs.
Audu-Ohwavborua appealed to the federal government to subsidise maize and soya to save the country’s agricultural sector.
He called on the government to evolve policies that encourage the patronage of local food products to develop the nation’s agro-allied industry.
On his part, Mr Isaac Oghogho, the Chief Executive of Adventium Songhai Delta Nigeria Ltd. said that his organisation was ready for the partnership.
He said that the development would facilitate the organisation’s projection to transform the 137.5 hectares of farm to its dream of an agro-industrial processing and tourism center.
