Abakaliki – The Ebonyi Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Uchenna Orji, on Friday in Abakaliki urged Ebonyi youths to participate actively in Agricultural production to enhance their economic status.
Orji made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.
According to him, the Ebonyi government under its Agricultural Development Programme, has introduced a number of incentives that will encourage involvement of youths in agriculture, as well as make farming more rewarding.
“We are poised to ensure that our youths are encouraged to actively participate in agriculture, to boost food production and increase our revenue profile.
“To make farming more attractive and to encourage the youths to get involved, government has introduced packages, including agricultural revolving loan schemes, to assist farmers to secure interest-free loans.
“Government has also organised free training programmes for farmers and the procurement of machines that are hired out at subsidised rates to farmers, among others.
“The government is committed to restoring the lost glory of the state as a major rice and yam-producing state and youths are pivotal to achieving the objective,” Orji said.
He said that agriculture could play a leading role in reshaping the Nigerian economy, especially in this era of global fall in oil revenue.
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The commissioner said that diversification of the nation’s economy through investing in agro-based businesses was key to sustaining the economy and enhancing the country’s internal and external reserves.
“We have both the natural and human resources to become a leading nation in Agriculture because we have a population that has active youths and an abundance of green vegetation to encourage Agricultural production.
“We can harness these resources and channel the energies of our youths into productive agricultural ventures, we can feed ourselves and still have enough to export, to boost our domestic and foreign reserves,” he said.
The commissioner urged youths to form themselves into farmers’ co-operative societies to access all incentives provided by government in its efforts to boost agricultural production in the state. (NAN)
Commissioner seeks youths participation in Agricultural production
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