The Delta State government, through the Job Creation Office, has made available poultry inputs that comprised of day old chicks and feeds to poultry farmers in the state, with a call on Deltans to take advantage of the state government’s agricultural support programme.
Making the presentation on behalf of the State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, explained that, with the new policy direction of the state government, which places strong emphasis on agriculture, farmers in the state would be given much attention.
Prof. Eboh told the poultry farmers that agriculture was one of the means through which Governor Okowa hopes to deliver lasting prosperity to the people of Delta State, adding that, “what is happening today is an important manifestation of the SMART agenda of the current administration in Delta State.”
According to him, “agriculture is the next focus, as oil which formed the mainstay of the country’s economic sustenance for many decades is gradually losing its prime place, even in world economy, maintaining that, ” anybody engaged in agricultural activities should see him or herself as part of the drivers of Nigeria’s economy. You must therefore, be proud to be part of the current economic revolution.
“Before now, farmers have been neglected and alienated, but the Okowa-led administration is poised to give them the desired attention and much needed support to enable them boost the state economy through job and wealth creation,” he stated
Prof. Eboh informed the beneficiaries that the state government would continue to monitor them to ensure the proper utilisation of the inputs given to them, saying that, “the monitoring is to see how the inputs are helping to boost your productions.”
The Chief Job Creation Officer, while disclosing that similar exercise had taken place in Delta Central and Delta South, said his office had also distributed cassava stems and fertilizer to farmers in the state for the late planting season.
The beneficiaries which include, Mr. Linus Godstime, Mr. Hillary Ogboi, Adaeze Ekene, all thanked Governor Okowa, for remembering farmers in the state. They promised to utilise the inputs and help boost the government’s job and wealth creation initiative.
In a related development, the state government has assisted piggery farmers in different parts of the state with ten piglets and two hundred and sixty naira worth of pig feeds each.
Speaking at Joe Daka Farms at Onicha-Ugbo, in Aniocha North local government area, where the distribution for pig farmers in Delta North took place, the state Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, said the exercise was in keeping with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s promise to prioritize agriculture as, “driver for the prosperity train.”
According to him, “the governor decided on cash components and other inputs in line with what the farmers want. We were told that piggery farmers develop the feeds for their pig, which informed the decision to give money in place of feeds.”
Some of the beneficiaries which include, Mr. Wilson Oliseh, a former bank manager, Mr. Candy Okocha, Mrs Patricia Emordi and Mr. Muoemeke Adimabua amongst others, said they were attracted to piggery farming because of the economic high turnover.
They commended Governor Okowa for taking a bold step in redirecting the attention of government to agriculture, which they opined has far more economic prospect than oil, which they agreed was fast losing its place in wealth creation and revenue generation.
They promised to grow piggery farming to an enviable height for value chain.
