ODUKPANI – The Cross River Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has commenced the distribution of oil palm inputs to farmers for the 2014 farming season.
Mrs Ada Edu, Head, Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme in the ministry, performed the ceremony on Monday at the Odukpani Redemption Centre, in Odukpani Local Government Area.
Edu stressed the need for benefitting farmers to make use of the inputs to boost oil palm production and be ready to key into the state government’s policies on Agriculture.
She said that with the successful launch of the exercise, farmers were entitled to 50 oil palm seedlings, one bag of 50kg fertiliser and one litre of herbicide.
She disclosed that 1,750 oil palm farmers across the state had so far registered for the Growth Enhancement Support scheme in 2014.[eap_ad_2]
Addressing the farmers, Mr Ubana Ubi, the local government Desk Officer for the project, that the exercise was an opportunity for farmers across the state to benefit from the GES.
He urged the farmers to make good use of the inputs, adding that both the state and the Federal Government had subsidised all the inputs.
According to him, farmers are to pay only N6,300 for the three items.
Also speaking, Mr. Asuquo Inemesit, Jetlink Coordinator, explained details of the processes of the redemption.
According to him, these include a text message from the farmer’s phone, which would indicate the quantity of the inputs and the amount as well as the farmer’s identity number.
In an interview shortly after redeeming his Agro inputs, Mr. Israel Okon, a farmer from Akamkpa Local Government Area commended both the state and the Federal Government for the initiative.
“I thank them for coming to our aid and I promise to make good use of these inputs,‘’ Okon said. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
