GOV. DICKSON ON AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN BAYELSA

Bayelsa State has comparative advantage in large-scale production of rice, palm produce, aquaculture, banana, plantain, cassava and vegetables. The state has invested in mega aquaculture projects with two Israeli companies, which are presently under construction to produce 3,000 tons of fish annually. Our vegetation is suitable for three cycles of rice production. We have major rice farms of our own which produces the Restoration brand of Rice.


Currently, we have 4,000 hectares of rice farm at Peremabiri, 5,000 hectares at Isampor and 2,000 hectares at Kolo. We have the capacity to grow and produce rice that will feed the entire Bayelsa State, Nigeria, West Africa and for export oversea.


We have established in conjunction with Ostertrade Engineering & Manufacturing KFT/DPP International APS, a Hungarian/Danish consortium a cassava starch processing plant with a capacity to produce 600 tons of industrial starch per annum and an out growers scheme of 600 hectares cassava farm. We have concluded a seed multiplication farm on a 40 hectares at Ebedbiri for this cassava farm.
The state has a palm plantation of 1,200 hectares with a potential to grow the palm plantation to 2,000 hectares at the current location. Similar opportunities abound across the state to increase the palm production capacity. Bayelsa has the capacity to be like Malaysia and Indonesia in oil palm production.

We therefore invite investors to partner with us in the Agriculture sector.In addition, Bayelsa is the natural home of organic banana and vegetables in Nigeria. That is why we are building the Cargo International Airport to prepare the state for the export market. From Bayelsa to anywhere in Europe is less than six hours in flight time.With the airport in place and the harnessing of all the state’s agricultural potentials, Bayelsa will be able to feed Nigeria, Africa and indeed, the rest of the world. BY SAINT MENPANO.