A total of 760 youths in Delta State have been profiled for the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), a special project for the empowerment of youths within the ages of 18 to 35 years in cluster farm not less than 100 hectares.
The project is under the Anchors Borrowers model, and the maximum loan facility of the programme is N1 billion.
In the scheme, Delta State is participating in tomatoes and fishery clusters. The 760 youths have been profiled for the tomatoes cluster, which would utilise the Green House Technology. Over 500 youths have also been profiled for the fisheries clusters.
Chikezie Austine, commissioner for agriculture, made the disclosure when he appeared at the ongoing 2018 press inter-ministerial briefing at the Ministry of Information, Asaba.
Austine also disclosed that the state government had approved the purchase of 20 new tractors and implements valued N422,757,600.00.
He said 14 of the tractors would be sold to farmers and farmers’ cooperative societies in the state at 40 percent subsidy with seven years pay back plan.
He explained that the remaining six tractors would be allocated to the tractor hire agency of the Ministry of Agriculture to further boost the agency’s activities.
The gesture is part of efforts of the state to reduce drudgery in agriculture and to encourage mechanised farming in the state, which he said would give rise to commercial farming.
He further disclosed that the state had three functional farm settlements namely: Mbiri, Utagba-Uno and Okunigho-Jesse farm settlements.
“They are currently inhabited by 319 selected farmers who are predominantly engaged in tree and arable crop production such as oil palm, rubber, cassava, tomatoes, okra and vegetable,” he said.
He noted that the agric ministry provided farm inputs for the participants, adding that each participant paid land rent annually to the state government.
