Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has announced that the state government is set to distribute a Special Agricultural Intervention Fund of N2 billion to farmers this month.
The governor revealed this information on Wednesday while examining the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS) at Mbiri Farm Settlement and the Agro-Industrial Park in Aboh-Ogwashi, spanning Ika North-East and Aniocha South Local Government Areas.
Mbiri Farm Settlement houses 30 greenhouses for the cultivation of tomatoes and other vegetables, while the Aboh-Ogwashi is for rice milling and other grains processing.
The governor emphasized that his administration is committed to enhancing the agricultural value chain, aiming to bolster food security and generate employment opportunities within the state.
“If you go through my MORE Agenda, I said that there are going to be sustainable agriculture sector reforms. I also said that the agricultural value chain will be sustained.
“And seeing what the immediate past administration has done here, it gladdens my heart.
“The agriculture commissioner has briefed me that we have this kind of farm settlement in the three senatorial districts.
“We are going to support them because we have N2 billion Special Agricultural Intervention Fund and we will disburse that money within this month,” the governor said.
Speaking further, Oborevwori pledged to provide access roads and other key infrastructure to boost food security and job creation for the people at the Agro-Industrial Park, Aboh-Ogwashi.
He added that his administration would work with the project Consultant to ensure its prompt completion for the benefit of the state and the country.
“People erroneously think that we are an oil-producing state and so we can depend on only the oil. No, we cannot depend on oil alone.
“With the removal of oil subsidy, we should also encourage our people to go into farming because it will help us.
“Food security is very important. Our people consume a lot; so, we must make food available and that’s why I have come here,” the governor added.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Agricultural Development, Mr Perez Omoun, said that under the AADS, the state government had established three greenhouse farms at Mbiri, Kpakiama and Deghele across the three senatorial districts of the stateNairametric
