NAN-AE-5
Disbursement
By Benson Ezugwu
Calabar, Oct. 24, 2016 (NAN) Cross River Government says it is disbursing N500 million to women and youths, under the State’s Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (CADP), to boost agricultural production in the state.
Prof. Anthony Eneji, State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources disclosed this on Monday in Calabar at a workshop for the first batch of 100 trained Cross River’s CADP.
Eneji urged youths and women in the state to embrace agriculture to improve their lives.
He said that N500 million was available for disbursement to beneficiaries, under the CADP, adding that this was part of the state government effort toward positioning agriculture as the mainstay of its economy.
According to him, the beneficiaries should to take advantage of the opportunity of the programme to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour.
“You need to free yourselves from poverty, bondage, and labour and remember also to pay up the loans on time to give opportunity to others who are waiting to also be empowered,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Duckham Amah, state’s CADP Project Coordinator, explained the history of the project and its activities.
Amah said that each of the 100 beneficiaries would be expected to get N2.5 million each.
According to him, the programme had supported farmers along the value chains of cocoa, oil palm and rice production.
Amah said an additional 600 beneficiaries would be trained at a future date.
He advised the beneficiaries not to see the loan as a gift but as an instrument of empowerment meant to position them to render assistance to other farmers.
Amah also urged them to pay up the loans on time to enable others benefit from the programme.
In separate reactions, the beneficiaries expressed joy and thanked the state government for the opportunity given to them and promised to make proper use of the loan.
One of the beneficiaries, Miss Esege Elemi said, she was happy and thanked the government for this opportunity.
Also speaking, Mr Godwin Nja said he would work hard in order to become a big time farmer. (NAN)
BEN/ORO/AFA
Edited by Razak Owolabi/Felix Ajide
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