Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Moses Ogbaji has called on development partners and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to talk less and do more for the sector to strive in the state.
The Commissioner made the call at a 2-day Stakeholders Retreat Programme with the theme: “Innovative Agricultural Interventions for Benue State: Empowering Farmers and Transforming Communities”, organised by the Benue State Agricultural Development Bank (BSADC) held at the Entrepreneurship Centre, Makurdi.
Professor Ogbaji stressed that development partners and stakeholders who aid the agricultural sector with funding, provision of farming inputs and training should talk less and do more for the sector to strive in the state, as there is the need to improve on livestock production and preservation in the state, adding that if partners do more, there would be massive growth and development in the sector, which will address food security.
He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his commitment and support towards Agriculture in the state and the Managing Director of BSADC, Mr Donald Akule, for taking the bold steps in organising the retreat, stating that there was every need to improve livestock production and preservation in the state.
The MD/CEO of BSADC, Mr Donald Akule, in his welcome address, explained that the retreat was an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion that would help the sector achieve growth, empower local farmers, boost livestock production and eliminate post-harvest losses.
The facilitator, a lecturer with Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM), Dr John Ona in his remarks, outlined some of the current challenges facing farming in the state, ranging from inadequate education on modern techniques in farming to inadequate knowledge of climate and weather; the challenge of funding, lack of cluster farms and strategy on credit repayment for farmers among other challenges.
Dr Ona said, for agriculture to strive in the state, there must be data on farms, farmers and yields in the state, which will help stakeholders and the state government to make informed decisions.
He emphasized that structures that would support farming must be put in place while empowering farmers with the right knowledge, which will, in turn, help improve farmer yields and access to the right information through extension workers, which will, in the long run, improve yield is equally important.
In their separate remarks, the State Manager of Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr Elijah Waziri and the Branch Manager of United Bank for Africa, opposite Central Bank, Makurdi, Mr David Igbudu, said they had come for the retreat to identify areas where they could support, assuring that they were ready to support and partner with the agency where necessary.
