Association asks Nasarawa Govt. for 10,000 hectares to grow cassava
NAN-AE-4
Cassava
Lafia, Sept. 21, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Cassava Growers Association has appealed to Nasarawa Government to provide it with 10,000 hectares of land to plant cassava.
Mr Austine Maduka, its National Public Relations Officer, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen when the association officials visited the state chapter of the association in Lafia.
He said that if the state government provided the land, it would not only boost cassava production, but would fight unemployment and poverty in the country.
“We are all aware of government’s ongoing project for African youths in agriculture and the project is designed to encourage youths to engage in agricultural activities to boost food production.
“Actually, what we are doing across the country is to advocate the growing of cassava and we can only achieve this through advocacy.
“It is in view of this that we are appealing to the state government to provide the association with 10,000 hectares of land to boost its production,” he said.
Maduka advised youths and all Nigerians to go back to the farm and embrace cassava farming.
“For the country to achieve food sufficiency, youths and other Nigerians must go back to farm to improve on the standard of living of the people”.
He also advised Nigerians, especially the youths, to shun idleness, embrace farming, acquire skills and other meaningful ventures to become self reliant.
Maduka reiterated the association’s commitment to continue to educate farmers and other Nigerians on modern methods of growing cassava for economic development.
Alhaji Mohammed Ari, the Acting Chairman of the association in Nasarawa, also urged Nigerians to embrace cassava farming considering its importance to societal development. (NAN)
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Edited by Tola Okinbaloye, controlled by Tajudeen Atitebi