In the 2025 budget, we will prioritize agriculture – Fubara

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has directed the people of Rivers State, especially women, to take up farming to cushion the effects of the high cost of living and feeding the state.

Fubara said agriculture would be prioritized in the 2025 budget to implement the government’s agricultural policy for the benefit of the people of the state.

He disclosed this information during a solidarity visit he hosted at Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday by representatives of Women in Farming and Agro-Allied Support Network.

The information was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, and sent to journalists.

The governor, represented by the state service chief, George Nweake, said his administration’s agricultural policies were aimed at improving the lot of citizens who were waiting for the laws to be implemented.

He noted that the agricultural policy is designed to be given top priority because it does not tolerate discretion of the purse. The government’s agricultural policy has already been developed, waiting for the time to be executed and implemented.

“The governor said that’s the main focus of next year’s budget: agriculture. But we’re not going to give it to people who don’t have farms. We’re not going to deal with portfolio farmers. Those who come in with jackets are not the farmers we’re looking for.

“We will not throw him in the air so that the fastest can catch him. No. If the best farmer is lame, he will catch him. Even if the sprinter is there, the sprinter will not be able to reach him. We will do things that will have a human face,” the statement said.

The governor, who recalled the vast agricultural potential and agro-products that the state has in abundance and how they are being neglected, filed a suit demanding a change in the mindset of the people by focusing on agriculture to keep up with modern realities and ensure food security.

He noted that this is also in line with the favourite projects of the Renewed Hope Initiative of the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu: the “Agricultural Support Programme” and “Every Home a Garden”, which aim to support women farmers across the country in order to strengthen the agricultural sector in the economy.

He said: “Until now, this place, Rivers and Bayelsa, has been known for producing oil palm, which has its roots in agriculture. Every part of Rivers State supports this and every one of us has palm fruit in our places and this has been neglected over the years.

“We also have various agricultural products that are doing very well in Rivers State. If we talk about fishing, I think almost every local government area has rivers where they fish. We also have all the agricultural products and livestock that we have neglected over the years.

“Again, research has been done on ‘Rivers State Without Petroleum’ and we see that Abua and Ahoada-West areas are famous for fruits. We have fruits everywhere, but their fruits are special. You talk about bananas: Etche and Omoku are famous for bananas, but they are not in the market.”

He added: “So I am glad that you have understood that the way forward is that we must first take agriculture seriously and the rest will be history; Rivers State will change.

“Imagine if every person here could produce one bag of garri. The impact it would have on our nation would be enormous.

“You all know that there is even a federal government project, a pet project of Her Excellency, the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, aimed at women who own gardens, to support women farmers across the country and strengthen the agricultural sector of the economy. I urge you to join this initiative.”

He commended the members of the organisation for their determination to take up agriculture and ensure food sufficiency in the state, calling on them to put their affairs in order and approach the Ministry of Agriculture to include them in the government’s agriculture initiative.

Speaking at the ceremony, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Victor Kii, thanked the members of the organisation for their visit, noting that it was a proof of their commitment and dedication towards the prosperity of the state.

Kii, who noted that the governor has been working hard to ensure the development of the agriculture sector in the state, suggested that it was for this reason that the governor recently approved the state’s participation in a special agro-food processing zone project that will commence soon.

He stated that “many of you are familiar with His Excellency’s policy plan and when it comes to agriculture, he has consistently stressed in various forums that agriculture is one of his areas of interest.

“His Excellency is working tirelessly to ensure the development of the agricultural sector. Many of you know that recently His Excellency approved the state to participate in the special Agro Processing Zone project, which will start soon.

“And you know that a delegation from the African Development Bank and the Federal Government was in the States to access the project site. That shows that this is a government that has the interests of the people at heart in terms of agriculture,” he said.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Roseline Uranta, noted the concerns of the governor, his deputy and the governor’s wife on the plight of the Rivers people, stressing that it was in this context that the governor in his administration prioritized agriculture, as well as health and education.

Uranta noted the concerns of the women regarding the high cost of living as key factors affecting the family and urged them to always pray for the Governor and his administration to enable him succeed.

In her remarks, Glory Coker, National Coordinator for Women in Agriculture and Allied Agriculture Sector Support Network, said their visit was to apprise the Governor of their desire to pursue mechanised farming to ensure food sufficiency in the state.

Coker said the move would significantly reduce the cost of living in the state and asked the government to help it achieve its goals.

She said: “We are already farmers but we want to go into mechanised farming in the state to make sure that if an egg costs N5,000 in the market, we want to bring its price down to N2,500. If garri costs N5,000 in the market, we want to bring its price down to N1,200. So we want to go into farming and with the support of the government, we know that the women of Rivers can do it.

“We want the Governor to support us. If it’s garri, we want him to give us a machine to process the garri. We need fertilizer. We need seedlings,” she added.

Furthermore, the state coordinator of Women in Farming and Agro-Allied Support Network, Ihuoma Eze, explained that the state branch of the organisation would be launched on Saturday, July 20, 2024, and requested for logistical support to ensure the success of the programme.