In an effort to ensure food security in the region, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced a partnership with communities in the Niger Delta to empower 4,500 rice and cassava farmers.
NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, revealed this development during an onboarding program for the farmers at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
According to Ogbuku, this initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s proactive effort to empower the people of the Niger Delta and promote food security in Nigeria. Represented by the Executive Director of Projects, Victor Antai, Ogbuku stated that the flagship agricultural initiative would support smallholder rice and cassava farmers with data, financing, farm inputs, mechanization, and extension services to sustainably produce rice and cassava, thereby enhancing their income and contributing to food sufficiency in the region.
“This program is projected to produce 12,000 tonnes of paddy rice and 10,500 tonnes of cassava tubers in its pilot phase, with conservative yields of 4 tonnes per hectare for rice and 7 tonnes per hectare for cassava,” Ogbuku explained. He added that the project will not only support farmers with production factors but also connect them to markets by providing off-taking services and helping them build performance and credit records to benefit from future commercial financing.
“We recognize that agricultural programs in the region often face challenges due to thick vegetation and storage issues. This initiative will serve as a successful example to attract the necessary investment in agricultural infrastructure,” he noted.
NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs. Winifred Madume, emphasized that the project has the potential to significantly enhance agricultural activities and the economic well-being of the people in the Niger Delta.
