The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has provided succour as palliatives to Bayelsa farmers and incubatees affected by the recent flood.
The intervention programme is part of IFAD’s support for farmers in nine states to cushion the effect of the devastating floods that effected parts of the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items distributed are 100 cartons of agro chemicals, 7500 plantain suckers, 700 Bundles of Cassava stem, 100 cartons of day old chicks.
Others are 360 bags of poultry feeds, 360 bags of fish feeds of different ranges, 2000 assorted edible tree crops, 270 bags of NPK Fertilizer, 350 packs assorted vegetable seedlings and economic trees.
Speaking during the flag off ceremony at the School to Land premises in Yenagoa on Saturday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr David Alagoa, expressed profound gratitude to IFAD for the support to farmers.
He said that it was a demonstration of IFAD’s interest in the development of agriculture in Bayelsa.
The commissioner stated that Bayelsa experienced the most castatrophic flood in recent times which led to loss of crops and fishing farms as well as poultry farms.
He added that the intervention was timely as it would in the short, medium and long time, cushion the loss suffered by farmers during the floods.
Alagoa said the palliatives for LIFE-ND incubates by IFAD was to cushion the effect suffered during the flooding and noted that in real terms, the incubatees had not lost anything as succour came from IFAD.
“Let me thank IFAD and the LIFE ND programme for what they are doing in the state today. Clearly it suggests that they have interest in the development of agriculture in the state.
“We all experienced perhaps the most castatrophic flood that we ever had. Bayelsa indeed was the worst of all flooding.
” As we speak now, anybody who comes with an intervention programme clearly suggest that they take the state at heart and what they brought we receive them with great thanks.
“The flag off is on agro inputs because IFAD collaboration is on agriculture and so with the state government, we have come together to give palliatives to Bayelsa farmers and incubatees who are affected.
“So you can see there are cassava stems, plantain suckers, day old chics economic trees and fish feeds and these are the areas they were trained by IFAD through the state government.
” They have even gone beyond that to give us economic trees, assorted seeds, fertilizers and so we are very happy with what IFAD has done in the state,” he said.
In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Mr Panebi Ugo, commended the state government’s developmental strides particularly in the agricultural sector.
He pledged the committment of IFAD/LIFE-ND in the realisation of the objectives of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ugo, said that the distribution of agro inputs to flood impacted farmers and LIFE ND incubatees was part of IFAD intervention to mitigate loss suffered by farmers during the floods.
She said it was the way for IFAD to identify with the farmers and LIFE ND incubatees at the trying times of the devastation.
Mrs Evelyn Peremoboere, a farmer, commeded IFAD for the palliatives, saying that the support from IFAD would enable them to start up their farm business.
NAN reports that IFAD assisted LIFE ND, in collaboration with Bayelsa Government, is also providing training to thousands of youths in Bayelsa and empowering them to self sufficiency.
