By Francis Onoiribholo / Bureau Chief Benin
Rural farmers under the Edo State co-operative farmers agency have been assured that the ongoing United State Agency for International Development Maximizing Agricultural Revenue in Key Enterprise Targeted Sites (USAID/MARKET II Project) will not be compromised in reaching the targeted farmers since there is no room for politicians to hijack the project in the state.
Mr. Nosa Amayo, the president of Edo State Co-operative Farmers Agency joined by Mallam Hassan Vunus and Sunday Okungbowa both president of the co-operative in the two pilot local government areas of the project in Edo State, disclosed this during the flag-off and mobilization of farmers toward the USAID cassava value chain programme held at Etsako West and Orhionmwon council respectively.
According to Amayo, “We are not unaware of moves by some persons who are fond of claiming farming as a profession, whereas they are politicians to want to tactically hijack the entire exercise in a project of this nature.
“That is why we are saying and are sensitizing our farmers through their respective L.G.A officials that for this project (USAID/MARKET II Project) we have made sure that no one hectare of land is given to those who are not true farmers. Because machineries are put in place to check and monitor all prospective beneficiaries; that it is only 500 farmers that will be guaranteed to farm their one hectare each in the 500 hectares of farm land to be cultivated under the project.”
On his part, the cassava value chain advisor for the USAID Market 11 Project, Mr. Olufemi Ojo explained that the project which has a five year span cut 16 states of the federation with Edo state among the south-south states, is a huge beneficiary of the project to enable farmers gets value for their product.
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