The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through
\nits contractor and Chief of Party, Dr. Adams Shafer, has given a thumbs
\nup to Governor Ben Ayade’s agricultural revolution, noting that Cross
\nRiver State is on the verge of becoming the epicenter in rice value
\nchain in Africa.<\/p>\n
Shaffer, who is the Managing Director of Cultivating New Frontiers in
\nAgriculture (CNFA), disclosed this when he led a delegation Wednesday,
\nto sign a memorandum of understanding on the Feed the Future Project
\nbetween the state government and USAID at the executive council chamber
\nof the Governor’s Office, Calabar.<\/p>\n
The USAID representative who said the US agency was focused on seven key
\nareas of projects financing, investment, agro-business, aqua-culture,
\namong others, hinted that Cross River has distinguished itself in the
\nareas of international best practice,\u00a0 transparency and the willingness
\nto align with the vision of USAID. He said the state topped the list of
\n36 states of the high powered delegation from the 36 states of the
\nfederation for the Feed the Future programme.<\/p>\n
Speaking shortly before embarking on a guided tour, along with the
\nGovernor, to the Ayade Industrial Park, Shaffer told Ayade of USAID’s
\npartnership: “In the forthcoming public private sector partnership
\n(ppsp) on rice value chain and opportunity we intend to bring in
\ninvestors and financiers not just within Nigeria but around the world to
\ninvest in Cross River rice and other value chain.<\/p>\n
“We will partner with you in bringing the best\u00a0 in terms of finance,
\nintelligence, experience and broker relationship outside Nigeria for
\nexport potential.”<\/p>\n
According to Shaffer, “There are 16 countries that are part of the this
\nprogram and Nigeria is one of them. Within Nigeria, there are 11 states
\nthat are the target of all our resources. Four in North East and with a
\nfocus on the remaining\u00a0 seven states, among which is Cross River, which
\nis at the top of our list.
\nWe also plan to connect with other Feed the Future programmes relevant
\nto the state.”<\/p>\n
While inspecting the rice seedlings and seeds multiplication factory and
\nother facilities at the industrial park, stunned Shaffer offered: “Well,
\nI will tell you I have seen pictures of this before, pictures of the
\nrice factory, but I thought it was outside of Africa, I never thought
\nthat this was in Nigeria, and then when I see it now, I believe it.”<\/p>\n
Expressing further amazement at the sophistication of seedlings factory,
\nthe USAID representative said: “I really have not seen such a
\nconsistency from the farm to the set up and I’m looking forward to
\nseeing the Ogoja rice mill tomorrow (Thursday), but this seedling
\nfactory is state of the art and it is very impressive, very unique and
\nI’m told it is one of a kind not only in Cross River, Nigeria but
\nAfrica.”<\/p>\n
Continuing, he said: “This is a demonstration of the potential that
\nNigeria has to feed itself and to feed the region. We need to see five
\nof this, we need to see the the entire value chain at this level of
\ntechnology of\u00a0 digitalization. Digitized agriculture is the future, hand
\nspreading of seeds is something of the past and it is difficult for
\nfarmers to change. I think the growth rate of both the quality and yield
\nacross the country would be five times and that is what we hope to do
\nwith the digital governor with support from us, and USAID this is truly
\nan impressive site and I’m very pleased standing here.”<\/p>\n
Responding, Sir Ayade said: “I and Adams have come together to serve
\nhumanity and to say yes, we need to feed the future and you cannot feed
\nthe future by waiting for a white man from America or waiting on your
\ngovernment, it is you and your contributions that can feed the future.”<\/p>\n
Emphasizing the import of Shaffer’s visit, Ayade said: “And so, what
\nShaffer is here to tell you is that we are ready to support you through
\ninternational best practices, assist you with grant.”<\/p>\n
The governor who assured of the state\u2019s capacity to deliver on the goals
\nof Cultivating New Frontiers for Agriculture (CNFA), an international
\nbody with the goal of designing and leading agricultural development and
\nentrepreneurship initiatives to build a prosperous world without hunger,
\nnoted: “With the caliber of persons we have around us, we have a huge
\ncapacity and practical experience to deliver because the quality of the
\npeople truly reflects the successes factor of whatever project that has
\nbeen brought.”<\/p>\n
On the Feed the Future Programme, the governor maintained that “it is a
\nreality and it is coming at the right time. The population of Nigeria
\ngrows in approximately three percent per annum and the implication is
\nthat, Nigeria will in 30 years double her population which is very
\nscary.<\/p>\n
“Today we are 200 million people and in 30 years it will be 400 million
\nwithout a corresponding plan on how to feed your future.”<\/p>\n
Lamenting the prospect of Nigeria’s population exploding in the next
\nyears, Ayade decried: “As the poverty level increases, child birth
\nincreases. They have an inverse relationship, the higher the wealth the
\nlesser the children, the higher the poverty, the more the children and
\nso, you have a situation where Nigerian population is on the rise.<\/p>\n
So, the statistics of 2.5 \u2013 3 percent growth is perhaps even wrong. Sad
\nenough, it is an American that has come to tell us about the need to
\nfeed the future.”<\/p>\n
According to the governor, “There is a new programme to prosper Africa
\nthat is being initiated by the American government with the funding of
\nabout USD60 billion set aside to bring prosperity to Africa and reduce
\npoverty and once that succeeds, the agency will have it huge footprint,
\nhaving initiated the right programme and sincerely implementing the rice
\nvalue chain to success in Africa, using Cross River as an intermediator
\nand USAID will stand as the only agency that has taken Africa to a
\nsustainable future and will grow in lips and bounds translating into
\ngood news for us in Cross River and indeed Nigeria.”<\/p>\n
While urging Cross Riverians to tap into the opportunities offered by
\nthe Feed the Future programme, the governor listed such areas as rice
\nfarming, maize, soya beans and other food crops. “All these are the
\ncrops we needed in our agro-value chain. We have a slaughter house that
\ndoes six thousand birds per day and we need the maize and soya beans to
\nsustain the feedmill for our chickens and America is number one in
\ncereals production in the world so, we need to work with them to see how
\nwe can increase the production of our maize and soya beans.”<\/p>\n
According to Ayade, “Very one of us must own a farm and for those of you
\nwho are in my cabinet, you know Cross River has just release USD7
\nmillion to a US firm to provide tractorization, mechanization, earth
\nmoving equipment and deforestation equipment for land clearing in
\npreparation for the expansion of the rice production in Cross River
\nState.<\/p>\n
“So, if you can assist us with a consultant that can articulate all that
\nwe have done based on your own experience going from one factory to
\nanother, seeing clearly what we have done, it will give you an insight
\nthat truly, this is the most serious state you must focus on.”<\/p>\n
Assuring CNFA of, and availability of land, the governor said: “Cross
\nRiver has 23,000 Square kilometer of arable land and if you encounter
\nany challenge, technology can address that and I know America is good in
\nirrigation.<\/p>\n
“We believe that we are well positioned by our technology, share size of
\nour land mass , character and decency of our people coupled with the
\nexposure that we have, education and integrity and love for strangers,
\nso, we provide a perfect environment for CNFA to prove indeed that you
\nare the right contractor selected to\u00a0 drive this process. “So look
\nnowhere any more because Cross River is the right place in Nigeria for
\nyou to demonstrate your competency.”<\/p>\n
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its contractor and Chief of Party, Dr. Adams Shafer, has given a thumbs up to Governor Ben Ayade’s agricultural revolution, noting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n