Governor Seriake Dickson has called for collaboration between Bayelsa State and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to enable the State fully realize its Agricultural potentials
The Governor made the call when the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Bukar Tijani paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Yenagoa.
According to him, “we want to be the foremost State in Agriculture and want to explore the sector to the fullest”.
Expressing Government’s seriousness to develop the Agricultural sub-sector, Hon. Dickson said it will not only broaden the base of the State economically, but will also provide food security as well as create jobs.
He disclosed that the State recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Danish company to establish the biggest cassava processing plant in the State with a view to provide varieties of cassava products.
The Governor equally stated that Aqua-Culture will be given top priority in the State’s drive to revolutionise Agriculture, while the potentials in rice farm cultivation, Plantain, banana and fisheries are developed to meet thr immediate and future requirements of the State.
“Some Countries that do not have our potentials are successful using Agriculture to broaden the base of their economy” he stressed
This, according to the Governor is a reason the State needs to benefit from all the research programmes and policies of the Ministry of the Federal Agriculture of Agriculture.
He commended the policies and programmes of the Ministry while also appreciating the efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan in promptly approving billions of naira to provide crops and seedlings to the States affected by the recent flood.
Earlier, the Minister of State had informed the Governor that his visit to the State was on a Special mission to open the 27th Annual Conference of the fisheries Society of Nigeria held in Yenagoa and also to sympathize with the Government and people on the recent flood that affected nearly all parts of the State.
He said “the Ministry of Agriculture is to address an initiation of Mr. President to recover fish ponds and farms during the dry season.
The Minister noted that President Goodluck Jonathan gave special consideration to Bayelsa State on the request of the Ministry to provide support to five hundred fishermen with fingerlings as well as seedlings, crops and fertilizer and commended the State Government for assisting families affected by the flood with grains.
He appreciated the effort of Governor Seriake Dickson towards giving adequate supports to all key areas of the Agricultural sub-sector.
According to the Minister, considering the State as foremost in the fisheries Industry, there is the need to invest massively and develop it export purposes.
He noted that the FADAMA III project can be used as an outreach to improve rice farming in the rural areas of the State.