NDDC partners commercial farmers to boost food security in Delta

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1 year ago

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced arrangements with large-scale farm holdings in the region to boost food security and agro-allied productivity in the country.

This is in line with the Federal Government’s move to guarantee food sufficiency in the country.

The NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs Winifred Madume, led a team of the commission on a working visit to some notable farm holdings on Wednesday in Delta.

The farms visited included: Adventium Songhai Delta Nigeria Limited, Emmppek Farms and Okemute Farms, all located in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area.

According to Madume, the essence of the visit was to assess the farms’ infrastructural facilities and their readiness to key into the initiative of the commission.

Addressing the farm owners at their respective farms, Madume said that the food security agenda was an initiative of the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku,

She said that the scheme was in line with the policy of the Federal Government which stressed stakeholders’ engagement in the development process.

Madume said that the aim of the agricultural intervention was to educate the teeming youth of the region on the business aspects of agric which by implication would make it more attractive to them.

“NDDC is interfacing with the identified farm holdings in the region on their challenges, areas of need and why the nation is still unable to feed its people.

“The Commission’s working tour is to explore areas of collaboration mainly on how to absorb agro-allied trainees.

“In addition to organising necessary training for prospective farmers, particularly interested retirees,” she said.

The team leader said that the agricultural programme was ongoing simultaneously in Imo, Abia, Edo and Ondo State and among others.

“At the end of the day, we will collate our various field reports and make our presentations to the Group Managing Director for action, all in the bid to ensure food security in the region and Nigeria at large,” Madume said.

Responding, Dr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, the Managing Director of Emmppek Farms said
that the farm currently had two pens with a capacity for 100,000 birds

He said that the farm also had a Feed mill that catered for the feeding of poultry products as well as engaged in the commercial production of egg powder from raw eggs.

Audu-Ohwavborua appealed to the Federal Government to subsidise maize and soya to save the country’s agricultural sector.

He also called on the government to evolve policies that encourages the patronage of local food products to develop the nation’s agro-allied industry.

On his part, Mr Isaac Oghogho, the Chief Executive of Adventium Songhai Delta Nigeria Limited said that his organisation was ready to partner with the interventionist agency.

According to Oghogho, the development would facilitate organisation’s projection to transform the 137.5 hectares farm to its dream agro-industrial processing and tourism centre.

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