River basin acquires land for post-COVID-19 farming
The Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) says that it has acquired 84 hectares of land for farming to cushion the effect of postCOVID-19 pandemic in its catchment areas.
It said the measure was part of the authority’s food security and job creation efforts to cushion the harsh socio-economic effect of postCOVID-19 pandemic.
The project manager of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Mr. Kobo Nekabari Marklin, who disclosed this to our reporter in Port Harcourt,said at the completion of the massive farm projects going on in the area, thousands of jobs would be created and sufficient food provided for the region.
Marklin explained that the 84 hectares of farmland will be used to cultivate palm kernel, hybrid citrus, hybrid dwarf mango, plantain and pawpaw plantations as well as raise poultry, fish and other agricultural products.
He said that the authority’s irrigation farm project in Kpon community, the biggest in the Niger Delta, has been provided with all the necessary facilities to function effectively.
Marklin explained that with sufficient funding and patronage, the farm could provide more than 10,000 direct and indirect employment and make an annual profit of over N100 million.
“With adequate funding and patronage, we are very sure of creating thousands of jobs and making millions of naira in profit when the project operates in full capacity. We have massive projects going on here. We need more funds to inject into the project to meet up the government’s policy of food sufficiency and security for Nigerians.
“Between now and the end of the year 2020, some of these projects will begin to function maximally. Virtually, everything will be produced here. We pray for good government policy and a favourable economic environment.
“We have ambitious plans for hybrid mango, pawpaw, plantain, palm trees and citrus plantations. When they are fully mature, obviously, we can feed the entire Niger Delta region and, by extension, Nigeria as a whole,’’ he said.