…Target 11,500 women, youths in poultry, fishery businesses
From: Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Following the approval by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State for it, a non-governmental organisation, Peace Aid Project (PAP) and Yola-based animal feed production and supply companies, Rico Gado and Gese Derdirabe, on Friday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural empowerment in Kaduna State.
The project, which was expected to be formerly launched in November, this year, with a projected output of about 214,200,000 birds per annum, would create direct employment for 11,500 women and youths across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The two companies would supply consumables which included day-old chicks, vaccines and vitamins to the farmers in this project which will transform the poultry industry in Nigeria and position Kaduna State as the largest poultry meat market in the country.
Chief Executive Officer of PAP, Benson Emakpor, noted that the partnership would not only create massive employment for women and youths, but would also generate huge IGR to the state government and diversify the Kaduna State economy from her dependency on oil revenue/ allocations from federation account to agriculture.
His words, “It is our opinion that with this massive investment in the youths and women of the state, security challenges will become a thing of the past as young men and women will become gainfully engaged in sustainable community development projects in mechanized aquaculture and livestock farming.
“A year ago, we presented the ad-hoc committee report on the implementation of this project to the Kaduna State government with huge excitement and expectations and here we are with just two months to the launch of the project in the state.
“Kaduna State is blessed with vast mineral and natural resources which include abundant farmlands and human resources which if properly explored can significantly improve the lives and wellbeing of the inhabitants of the rural and urban areas. This project is focused on the harnessing these farmlands and human resource for aquaculture and livestock farming,” he stressed.
Mohammed Hussein, who represented commissioner of agriculture at the event, described the development as another milestone by this administration to provide employment for our youths and stir the state towards sustainable development in livestock farming of the agriculture sector.
“The Kaduna State government is transforming the State into an agricultural hub and developing the non-oil base sector of the economy of the State by investing in agriculture and agro Allied industries. This project complements government efforts in this direction and will further boost the development livestock farming in the State”.
In their separate remarks, Managing Director of Rico Gado Francisco Barreiro Dasilva and Manager of Gese Derdirabe Fola Oladunjoye said, their involvement in the value chain project was to make farming a profitable venture for women and youth by sourcing consumables for the farmers in PAP initiative at a recurring credit facility to allow them focus on the growing of their livestock.
With the arrangement on ground, the benefiting farmers who must come through cooperative societies will have nothing to worry about as the Bank of Agriculture will be providing the loan in the form of overdraft which will enable the supply companies play their role including monitoring service as well as marketing upon maturity stage.