He made the call yesterday at the Aper Aku Stadium while declaring open the Benue Farmers’ Summit themed “Climate is Changing, Food and Agriculture Must Change Too”.
Represented by his Deputy, Engr. Benson Abounu, the Governor noted that through the proactive steps taken by his administration the state witnessed bumper harvest in 2016.
He listed the initiatives as collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria on the Anchor Borrowers Programme as well as partnership with the Bank of Industries as well as Bank of Agriculture for the provision of loans, farm inputs, and training of Benue farmers in rice and soya beans production.
According to the Governor, his administration has adopted robust approaches that would guarantee sustainability and resilience adding that an Agricultural Policy and Strategic Plan of Action covering 2017 to 2020 had been drafted awaiting validation by stakeholders before finally being released.
He said the summit was part of a wake-up call on all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to rise up and embrace his administration’s policy for an agricultural revolution and work in with government to take Benue to her pride of place as a leading agricultural producing state.
Earlier in his welcome address, Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. James Anbua, disclosed that the state government was working towards providing tractors for farmers in the state as well as embarking on massive land clearing among others as a way of encouraging mechanised farming.
High points of the summit was the inspection of farm produce displayed by all the 23 local governments of the state by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu. BY BENUE.COM.NG.
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