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Delta State Government, on Thursday, distributed 7,660 bags (388 tonnes) of maize to members of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Delta State Chapter, to mitigate the challenges confronting members of the association.

Speaking during the distribution of the 388 tonnes of maize at the ADP office in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport and Secretary of the State Palliatives Committee, Chief Jaro Egbo, said the state government’s gesture was in line with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s agenda to cushion the effects of the rising cost of feeds production in Nigeria.

Egbo added that the gesture was to also, reduce the high cost of living by encouraging the production of what is consumed in the state, a development which, he said, would ultimately enable the state to compete favourably with any other state in the country in terms of agricultural productivity.

According to him, 528 tonnes of maize were expected to be distributed to poultry farmers in the state at the end of the exercise, adding that the verification of the list of members submitted by the association (PAN) in the state showed substantial compliance of about 97 per cent.

“A total of 528 tonnes of maize are to be distributed to poultry farmers in the state out of which we are releasing 7,660 bags of maize which is about 388 tonnes, to the poultry farmers until we sort out other grey areas to see whether those farms exist or not,” Secretary of the State Palliatives Committee stated, adding that bags of rice had earlier been distributed across the state by the  same committee.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Assistant to the State Governor on Agriculture, Hon. George Oyefia, said there were three commodity associations which he listed to include the poultry farmers, the pig farmers and fish farmers, stressing that the committee was dealing with poultry farmers alone in the present cycle of distribution of palliatives.

“The poultry farmers association has been existing and the people you see here are their members. We are not dealing only with the poultry farmers alone; we are aware that there are some people who are not members of the poultry farmers association. We call them non-association members. Very soon, we will be dealing with those people.

“The essence is to make sure that there is equal opportunity for all, according to the MORE Agenda. The MORE agenda talks about realistic reforms and what you are seeing here today is actually realistic reforms.

“A few weeks ago, you saw the governor at Mbiri where you saw our green house and the tomatoes project. Today, the governor is looking at many projects,” the Executive Assistant to the governor said.

He pointed out that 1,000 hectares of land have been earmarked for dry season farming for rice cultivation by the state government, adding that some areas have been earmarked for the planting of over three million palm trees to expand the frontiers of agricultural productivity in the state.

“So, there are  many projects loaded for the farmers. The governor has said severally that there are about six million people in the state and you need to feed these six million people and the only way to feed them is through farming and he is very passionate about the issue of farming.

“This is because he is aware that when we go back to the farm, opportunities will be created for the unemployed and there will be food security. By the grace of God, in the next six to seven months, Delta will be the next hub of farming activities in Nigeria.

“The exercise just started today and it is going to be a continuous one. After dealing with the commodity farmers, we will be dealing with the crop farmers.

“Every crop grows well in Delta State: we have experimented with all the crops here. There is nothing that does not grow well in Delta and we have the arable land. I am very sure that by the end of the Oborevwori’s administration, Deltans will have cause to smile,” Hon. Oyefia added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, PAN, Delta State Chapter, Chief Eric Tomfawei, expressed appreciation to the governor for his policies and programmes aimed at enhancing food security in the state.

While saying that the palliatives distributed to poultry farmers in the state would  go a long way in enhancing their productivity, Chief Tomfawei assured the state government that they would make judicious utilisation of the palliatives given to them for the intended goal.