NAN-AE-16
Fadama
By Ben Ezugwu
Calabar, March 14, 2017 (NAN) The Cross River Government has paid N56 million counterpart funds for Fadama III additional financing project for 2015.
Mr Bassey Elemi, State Coordinator of Fadama III project, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Tuesday.
“The state government has paid N56 million as counterpart funds for 2015 Fadama III project.
“I sincerely appreciate the government for that gesture; we have also made a request for the payment of the 2016 funds,’’ he said.
Elemi said that his office had completed the preparation and processing of 144 business plans, covering 360 hectares of farmland for cassava production in three locations in the state, under the first phase of the project.
He said that the locations included Nyanya, Bekwara Local Government Area (LGA), involving 10 business clusters (100 hectares); Wonye, Yala LGA, 10 business clusters (100 hectares); and Akansoko, Akpabuyo LGA, 10 business clusters (160 hectares).
He said that the beneficiaries had completed the first stage of the process, which was training and capacity building.
He said that the beneficiaries were currently engaged in land clearing, in the lead-up to crop growing.
Elemi solicited the assistance of the federal and state governments, particularly in the area of stumping which he described as a serious challenge to the success of the project in the state.
“Stumping is the major challenge facing the cluster groups here because of the difficult terrain, and this has slowed down the real cultivation process.
“So, I appeal to both the state and federal governments to assist our farmers because they lack the required funds to hire equipment for stumping,’’ he said.
He, however, said that in spite of the stumping challenge, the Fadama project office had resumed the training of another batch of clusters in six locations. (NAN)
BEN/FLP/OOK
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