DTSG ASSURES OF ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR AGRICULTURE

The Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, said his administration will provide the necessary support and enabling environment for individual and group to succeed in agriculture.

Governor Okowa stated this during the formal inauguration and Flag off of Farmers Global Village Multipurpose Cooperative Society at Edo-Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The Governor who was represented at the Flag off by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Austin Chikezie, stated that his SMART Agenda anchored on wealth creation was based on agriculture, food security and the provision of raw materials for industrial growth.

According to him, "We have the land, we have the technical know-how, the problem is just the will power, and will need the will power to demonstrate our resolve."

Governor Okowa said that it was important that we go back to the farm to be able to produce enough food to feed ourselves, saying the population of the country was growing daily, noting that recent statistics released by the National Population Commission revealed that the population of Nigeria was almost 200 million.

"We should be able to make provision to feed ourselves. If we cannot feed ourselves we cannot industrialize. That is why every government preaches the need for people to go back to the farm. We must have food security.

“We must lay a very solid foundation for technologically developed agricultural sector that will ensure that we are sufficient in food production." Governor Okowa reiterated.

The Governor commended the initiators of the Farmers Global Village, stating that the initiative was in tandem with modern agricultural practices of integrated agricultural project that embraced farm settlement and at the same time emphasizing end to end development.

The initiative, the Governor reckoned was developing agricultural value chain that included production, processing, packaging and marketing describing it as the new thinking in agriculture.

He stated that with the new thinking in agriculture in the state, Delta would do well, saying that with the way agriculture was being taking technologically, farmers would be on top of the game and farmers would dictate the tune in future.

The Governor encouraged the initiators to be focused and not be distracted because they have a laudable vision.

Earlier, the Chairman of Farmers Global Village Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Pastor Anthony Ese said that the idea behind the project was to provide all necessary assistance for farmers to thrive in their trade by providing land, loan, market, security, training and grant to farmers.

Pastor Eze revealed that the project would assist the society and government in the provision of employment for over 2000 youths in the state.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the planting of the first palm tree by the representative of the Governor, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Chikezie and others.