FG's largest silos threatened by inadequate 26 1
NEWS
DAILY TRUST
I
.AGRICULTURE
water, power supply in Gombe From lawallbnhim. Gombe THE twenty fi\"c thousand (25,000) metric wns capacity silos, the largest federal govemmenfs strategic grain reserve in the country located in GomM are bdng threatened by lack of stable powu and water supply, checks
by Daily Trust revealed. Our correspondent who visited tht silos in Gom~ lTVealed that.
"'d.
although allthC' len (10) with 2,500
metric ton5 capadly each were stocked with auorted grains by the
federal government. the grains in them are likdy lospoil due to the near absenet: of power and watersupply in
FEDERA MJNISTRl{ Of Aooll
• Z5000 10K STORAGE SilO COMPLEX GOr-IBE GO'~BE STAlE
IFAD. rG spends N300m on agr ic ~rogramrfle in Cross ,illl r Ibtillt ·rn.U nillr"«W1;1.nJ :o\llcl'1lulO1I Dndopn'l'nt (1 '1.0) in mllabo)1<I1101l wilh th·! Fcdtr J G~\l'mmelll Spell; N100 milhonf<Jrth IInJI, m~ntllllOnofl _' '1lllllunily N'iI"I1 No tk., aI IlesQurCI'5 ~; 'l101g<!llenl Pngram l( '"l),sRiv-rr Mr 11l.-(>Cl'lt Ogbin. tho:: st! _ PlT'grnn' Otficn iI' ch Ir:e of IFAD ..Ii, I('sed that 110 _grk lIeu_ rroje.;:ts havl' ·0 far bee'n in pfemel led i! I 2.7 communitil!':> spread aero'>! nil I' I, c.II govt'mm"n! ,·r~as '"If tIl<' stale', addmg. -'The program i, sponsorl'J by IFAD 'n ",I!JboraUon with Ihe F..Jeral (j.)\1.'mmalt Higer Della o..·\-elorment Cornmw-Ion (tIODC), Crosslllvefli Stale G"wrmm.:ntIJil local Gov-rmm~nt COUll
dis. "The Colllmunity DI'\'elopment Fund (COF) 2fproach applied in 27 cOlnmuni lies in I n f1.nllen and entn"prlse groups OUI ofa targotl >f189 rl'p~nting 59 per cent;' he ...... id, Ogbin saiJ the program '.>'as imple mented thn.uith a community-driven deVl'lopmental'proach \~heR' ove r 11.000 fanners r'-om tWfll'liting com mUll ities were Iraineda!lde 11I:oowt!'rI'd on variousagricultural skU,s for Ihe successful impll'mentatWll ofthept'll2rmt. Mr Aks; Qrim, one orthe beneficiarie;o;, expressed apJ)("''i;:illlion to Ihl' redenll Gm'emmelll R) ir g Ihat the project had put rood on li3 tilltle, lidding, .. WI' feel good b«:.Il1K Ihe I eolt'f;ll Government has h«n in Ihe bu·ine--5 wilh us intervemll8 for o\'er I'; l-nrsund' h"reisan impro", .. menl in the pl1lgnun "h!!.t.iJ(NAN)
theafea. A Su.fT of the FtttcnJ Ministry of Agricultu~ In Gom~ who spoke on condilion of anonymity bcaust he has no wthority to Ialk to the pRSS revealed Ihallhe avail~ility of waler and constant power supply 10 the fadlity arc 'in)' essential 1.0 the crTeclive and uceUent preservation of the grains SIOred in the silos by the federal govetnruenL ·We need dectricity to enable us pumped air into the silos to keep the inlensity of the stored grains but as I am talking to you now, WI' bave not had lighl for Ihl' past two days. Water 5upplytolhelrn isepilepuc.. Withlhe kind of activities W~ undertaR al th~ silos area, WI' rrquirl' corntanl supply of water. WI' have nOl. b«n supplied water for some liml':'i now.
-So many of our staff you 51'1' herl' arc asthmatic because oflhe effect or dust and chemials ....e use in procl'$5+ ingand packaging the grains. Belwem last year and now, WI' lost three of our staffs 10 chronic asthma they contacted from this placl'. Therl' is no arrangement Cor our welfare and pro· tection against alIthCK haurds here. The condition is critical- the source Daily trust investigation revealed that. about 83 lniler load wdghing 1B.OOO metric Ions of rnail't, sorghum, garri and miUets are currently slorl'd in them With additional 2.100 metric tonsoHaded rice slaled for pl"OCessmg II the Federal GOV<'-fnment plants al Benue and Ebonyi Slatl'Sset byth~fcd. ernl government as part of ml'asu..-e! aimed al SlOpping the Imporlation of riel" in the country. The Gombe silos cl"ntre Is curnlllly processing and packaging gr.t.ins for the norlh I"aSlem states. the republics of Niger, Olad, Ethiopill, Kl"ny.a and Somalia in addition 10 mopping up five ~rcl'nt orthe excess annual grams proJucUon in the market u providal for by the federal government pohcy on grains. When conlacted for comment on the IMUI', thl"Sil05 Managl"r In Gamhl", Prmcl' Ngwu Emmanual dedlllcd to speak 10 this reporter. R)'ing he ha~ no rigll! to lalk to the press except with express permiMion from Ihe ministry III AbuJa.
FG to extend subsidy to fishery fa rmers THE F«I.eraJ Govenullnu Ihrutlgh Ihe (cd 'fIIl mmistry of agricuhu~ and rurn! devel ~lpmmllViD soon begin 10 proviJl' subsidies to OpeflltOrs in the fiSlJenes sub,sc~dor as llready being done locrop fann,'n with th~ Ilt:W inten"t'nlion largrted at unaU-scale fish ~ ant.! aquacull1Jnotopt!'raI(IfS..
Under the new arrangrm.mt. hasic Inputs wiD be subs1dized and sold 10 tllfTners through Ihe Growth Enhancement SuPPOlrt Scheme IGESS). Minister- 01 Agricultul"!'. Dr, Aldn Adcsina Rid III Oko Dba. Agege, during 1M roO ouloftheGESS in Lagos State. In a statement signed by IhI'5J'triaI AssIst· ani 10 the Ministeroo Mctha. Dr.Olukayode ~I~ says the federal government wtluld ex.tend GES La fisheril':'i because Ihe seclOf has not been surported much. adding. "\ am ddl!'rmiJV:d 10 change thaL Within till" budget this rear. [ wouW like the valUe'd13ln 10 expand prodoction.l1l1" minisla acknowledged till' importance of brood Slack as -fmwamental basis for production,- adding lhaI just like fertilb.er is 10 SOITlI!"OIlI" growing nee mail!', that is how brood stodt Is 10 5OffII"OOe growing lidl. III!' l1JlIiefs(omI thI" unpor1nuCe of artiSilIla1 fisheries, adding that·ArtisanaJ rlSheriI'S population wiD bec:apwnd WI' ",;Uexlmd thaI suppor1lO fIShing nets and other inpua.. The operators could use their axtpr:nItiws. within the artisana1 fISheries 10 access support and provide ser-vice Cor mecha!liZOltion. WI' 1'0-'111 also look Inlo how wecm structure affordabk financing mechanism. spet:iftollly ror llut. Induding outboanl engines." hI!' said. The minisler-. ~.Ialllmted the lack
of good Illallmngbca.u5e ofl;rc.kofSIlIlishcs. addhlg. "WI' don't !mUON lilI" f.mlln5, who the), arl", wh~rt t}v:y 0lR'. their challenges, 1!'"I.'efJ thillg. You do anything unless you know }'OOrCU'itomers.ln lhe GESS, we aR' doing it beall51' we: ha\'e registered the farmm.On tbe prosptct5and untappedopportunl ties in Ih .. lishl'ries expor1 ma~,lhl' minister said the arti5iUlal fishery is an amt neglected for so long while thI" aquaculture ha5 the
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Clradly lu c~ale so many jobs by providlllg mpua.. tmming and sensitization. On proc:tS~ing r<)r export. he nutalth.11 ·we have II chain in which WI!' know whill tilt: safety siandards are, '10 Ihal we can Il1t:'('t them.~ H I' advised stakeholders 10 condu(! tnllnlng f(lr m ... mben. promisinglhal, ·br tile tlml!' WI!' ex.1~nd the GfS 10 arWallal Oshl!'riCS and aquawllure, WI' will l11ake progress.-
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