From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
In furtherance to its economic empowerment initiative, no fewer than 350 poultry farmers in Delta State under the state government’s Youths Agricultural Enterpreneurs Programmes ( YAGEP) on Tuesday received economic lifeline from the State government, while 200 others are on the awaiting lists.
The young farmers who cut across the three Senatorial Districts of the State, were presented with support packages (materials and equipment) to boost their farms to increase their yields, while those who specialize in breeding broilers were given 400 day old chicks, drinkers, feeders, medications as well as 150 bags of feed each, others who specialize in breeding layers were given 400 point of layers.
Executive Secretary, Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Development Agency, ( DSMSMEDA) Chief (Mrs) Shimite Bello while addressing the beneficiaries, said” it’s an empowerment programme from the Office of the Vice President and I was appointed by His Excellency,Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to handle the project for Delta State as focal person , there is a focal person in every State and the FCT, It’s the Social Investment Programme and the whole essence of the programme is to empower people in five areas, the programme is to continue and it will empower about 44,000 people in Delta State” and appealed to farmers to prepare for the 40 percent shares of the newly privitazed Bank of Agriculture ( BoA) to Join in the ownership of the bank.
While saying that there is also a job creation programme called N-Power for the youths, Chief Shimite Bello disclosed that about 13,000 youths will benefit from the programme in Delta State and urged the beneficiaries to judiciously make use of what they were empowered with as the state government was committed to doing more for them in thearea of agriculture.
