Edo set to empower 50,000 farmers

Edo State Agric Business Ad-hoc Committee has said plans are underway to empower about 50,000 farmers in the state.

Mr Osaro Idah, the chairman of the committee, said this on Tuesday when members of the committee visited Mr Justin Okonoboh, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, in Benin.

He said that the visit was to enable the committee to interact with the members of the House, a part of efforts to identify genuine farmers in their various constituencies who could drive the process.

Idah said that the farmers would be selected from the three senatorial districts of the state.

He said that the farmers would be trained in modern agricultural skills, adding that they would also be given farm inputs and implements to cultivate large hectares of land.

He, however, solicited the support of the House in efforts to acquire lands from the communities in the lawmakers’ constituencies for the scheme.

Responding, the speaker said that the House was ready to collaborate with the committee in efforts to take the youths off the street and empower them.

Okonoboh said: “It is unfortunate that the youths are no longer interested in agriculture but I think at this time we should all go into farming.

“There is a youth summit on agriculture coming up in March this year, the House will provide the legislation that would boost employment and food sufficiency in the state.’’