As the President Buhari's led administration continue to seek ways of improving the lives of Nigerians, with Agriculture as one of it's main strategic entry point couple with the Agro industrialisation mantra of governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, the state coordinator of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mr. Innocent Ogbin has revealed that the IFAD LIFE-ND Project has contributed to a reasonable increase in rice production this year in Cross River State.
Ogbin disclosed this in a media roundtable in Calabar, stating that through its intervention, rice yield in the state have improved from less than two tones per hectare to about 4.5 tones per hectare amongst beneficiaries of the programme.
He added that the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger-Delta, IFAD LIFE-ND project is a collaboration between the Federal Government of Nigeria, states in the Niger Delta and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which has so far in Cross River state empowered 1,160 men and women, including persons living with disability from 10 local government areas.
He said the beneficiaries were trained and some of them provided with working capital in 4 major agricultural value chain which include rice, cassava, fishery and poultry. Also 37 youths have been provided with 18,250 day-old chicks and each person has an average of 493 chicks.
"Besides, 339 hectares of land has been surveyed in different communities for the project and 5.7km of earth roads have been completed with about 17 culverts. It's an ongoing activity. We have developed over 105 hectares with different crops."
Similarly, he said that a total of 18,250 day old birds were distributed to 37 incubates within the last one year that the program implementation began in the state.
He further said that the project intervention have seen to the construction of 5.7km rural road.
"From the 100 communities, 10 each from 10 Local Government Areas that have been penciled down to benefit from the project, we are presently visible in 52 communities.
He said the goal of the project is to among other things, "transform our rural populace in such a way that this rural population will derive prosperity and equal benefits. It has the objective of enhancing income, food security and job creation for our rural youths and women in the Niger Delta area through enterprise development in a sustainable manner."
He further explained that the project has a 12-year life span which is broken into two phases and is targeting 4,250 people. He added that the total budget outlay for the project is $94 million with IFAD providing $60 million while other partners will provide $34 million.
The 10 benefiting LGAs in Cross River which he listed are Akpabuyo, Akamkpa, Biase, Yakurr, Obubra, Ikom, Ogoja, Yala, Obanliku and Obudu.
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