Determined to achieve food sufficiency and sustainable development, 320 women and young farmers will benefit from the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Agriculture Support Programme in Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
The wife of the Cross River governor, Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu told journalists in Calabar, the state capital that the Renewed Hope Initiative of the Nigerian First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu was commencing its Agriculture Support Programme with 200 women, 60 young farmers and 60 homes.
Mrs. Otu, who spoke through her Press Secretary, Faith Okon-Egbujiem said that the programme would also revive Young Farmers Club in 30 selected public schools within Cross River as part of efforts to “strengthen the agriculture sector and contribute to the attainment of food security in the country.”
According to the wife of the governor, the agriculture component of the Renewed Hope Initiative was focused on four key are that would provide each participant with an opportunity to expand their farming businesses and at the same time contribute to local as well as national food production.
“Every state, including Cross River, has been enabled to train and empower 200 women farmers under the Women Agriculture Support Programme (WASP) ; support 60 young people in the Youth Agriculture Support Programme and empower 60 homes in the Every Home a Garden Initiative,” she explained.
Otu further stated, “these women and youths would be trained according to their preferences on Crop Production, Fishery and Poultry. At the end of the training, each participant under the would receive 200 fingerlings, one fibre tank, 2 bags of feeds and medications.
“Those for poultry farming would get 50 day old chicks, 2 bags of starter feeds and 2 bags of finisher feeds, while those for crop production will receive improve maize seeds, okra, pumpkin seeds, organic fertiliser and watering cans,” she stated.
She explained that participants under the Every Home a Garden scheme would also be given improved seeds, organic fertiliser, watering cans, knapsack sprayer and spades, while the 30 selected public schools across the state would be provided starter packs to help them start small farming projects.
“The essence of the young farmers club is also to introduce students to farming as a way to inspire their interest in agriculture as a viable career path; not just as a livelihood, but as a sustainable contribution to national food security,” she reiterated.
Ward level selection
Also speaking, the Senior Special Adviser Administration to the wife of the governor, Dr. Comfort Oko stated that the selection criteria for beneficiaries would be through the 196 political ward leaders and other strategic stakeholders especially the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Cross River State counterpart.
She explained, “the selection criteria for the women farmers and the youths would be through the leadership at the wards. We have 196 political wards across 18 local government areas and three senatorial districts. So, we are adopting the political delineation for the selection.
“But, we are partnering with the Cross River Ministry of Agriculture along the Federal Ministry of Agriculture where the started packs would be domiciled. These implementation of the entire Agriculture component is expected to gulp ₦68,913,513.50k (sixty-eight million, nine hundred and thirteen thousand, five hundred and thirteen naira fifty Kobo),” Oko disclosed.
Similarly, the Cross River State Coordinator in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Asim Ita and his counterpart in the state owned ministry, Mr. Ubi Ubanga said that their contributions would be provision of technical support for training, monitoring and evaluation to guarantee increased yield and compliance.
The participants are expected to undergo a three weeks training before receiving the designated starter packs.
Oyenike Oyeniyi
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