DTSG, AU TO Commit N3BN For Smallholder Farmers’ Empowerment

By Grace Eshedagho

Delta State Government and the Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA) have proposed a budget size of Three Billion Naira for the innovative strengthening of 3, 380 smallholder farmers’ capabilities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Godfrey Enita, at the training of smallholder farmers at Songhai Farms, Amukpe community in Sapele Local Government Area.

Enita, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ben Agamah, said that the state government would commit one-third of the proposed budget size for the intervention which would last for a 10-year period.

‘’It is a 2:1 ratio. If AUDA brings two Nnaira, the state government would bring one naira. So, for every one naira that the state government commits, AUDA-NEPAD will support with two naira.

ALSO READ: Malami Receives Rivers State’s DSSRS Award

‘’For our proposals, we have articulated 3, 380 participants for this intervention on different commodities, and the total budget is supposed to be Three Billion Naira; that would take groups/commodities such as cassava, rice, greenhouse vegetable cultivation, and aquaculture.

‘’As a state, what we articulated to be able to support the 3, 380 farmers is a total of Three Billion Naira. Therefore, the Africa Union (AU) is bringing two parts while Delta is bringing one part,’’ Enita said.

Worried by the likelihood of the beneficiaries underutilizing their starter packs, Enita said that there would be no provision for cash incentives to individual farmers. Insisting that it was the clusters that would be developed.

Addressing the participants, the National Coordinator of AUDA-NEPAD, Princess Gloria Akobundu agreed that the intervention was targeted at building the capacity of smallholder farmers to increase their contribution to the nation’s food production.

Akobundu, represented by the Chief Administrative Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, Mrs. Timi Young-Itiye, said that the initiative was also geared toward the realization of President Mohammadu Buhari’s vision to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

She commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for demonstrating a strong commitment to the success of the program projected to build the capacity of smallholder farmers, create direct and indirect jobs, wealth creation, and curb youth restiveness, among other objectives.

Meanwhile, a member of the state steering committee of AUDA-NEPAD, Mrs. Bridget Odobor, said that the intervention was timely to address the growing food shortage in the nation caused by rising insecurity, by ensuring adequate food security measures.

On the sidelines, one of the resource persons who lectured the farmers on cross cutting issues, Dr. Oghenesuvwe Okpara of the Department of Animal Science, Delta State University (DELSU) said that households should be able to produce the commodities where the state has a comparative advantage.

During the seminar, the farmers were also exposed to sustainable land use and farming practice by the representative of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), Mr. Felix Edeki.

Some of the farmers who spoke to newsmen, including Mr. Patrick Onolunoje (Fishery), and Chairman of Oluchukwu Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Igbodo, Mr. Simon Uzuhai (Piggery) expressed their gratitude to the state government and the AUDA.

It was earlier reported that 3, 380 farmers selected from across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state would be empowered by AUDA-NEPAD in cassava, vegetable (open field and greenhouse), poultry and piggery farming in the agricultural food value chain.