By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
Benue State Government has through the State Agricultural Development Company, in a proactive response to the escalating food insecurity challenges in the state, declared a State of Emergency on Food Insecurity.
Mr. Donald Aorkwagh Akule, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Benue State Agricultural Development Company (BSADC) who made this known in Makurdi on Wednesday in statement made available to The AUTHORITY newspaper said, Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Alia has adopted a people-centric solution model aimed at addressing the crisis known as the “Food Basket Model.”
According to the statement, “as part of the immediate rollout of this initiative, the Benue State Agricultural Development Company (BSADC) has launched programs aimed at uplifting farmers and ensuring sustainable food production across the state”.
BSADC, according to the MD has mapped out programs that include among many others, Farms and Farmers’ Digital Data Capturing which is intended to collect comprehensive data on farms and farmers; facilitating better planning, resource allocation, and support.
BSADC People’s Group Free Registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission intended to foster community-driven agricultural development under which BSADC will sponsor the free registration of agricultural groups (10 persons per group) with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The program also has the Goat Farming Training which is aimed at training thirty participant at a time, six times a year commencing in January, 2025. Start-ups for participants, sponsored training and business registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission will be done by BSADC.
The MD added that, Food Value Hunt, a new initiative that aims to identify and empower successful candidates (10-35yrs) in the agricultural value chain, promoting innovation and growth will be carried out. There is also BSADC Outgrower Scheme that is designed to support farmers through outgrower arrangements, helping them scale production and access markets.
“We hope to introduce Model Farms for All-Year-Round Farming this will be in partnership with People Groups, a system that will ensure continuous food production throughout the year”, the MD said.
Mr. Akule said it is the governor’s strong belief that these initiatives, along with others, will revamp the state’s agricultural sector and play a key role in addressing food insecurity.
“I have a meeting already arranged with
Namah Elijah Waziri, MD of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Benue, to initiate collaborative partnerships aimed at boosting the agricultural sector in the state. These programs and initiatives will commence in the coming days, with further information on registration and participation to be released to the public shortly”, the MD enthused.
