Bayelsa State has enhanced its rice production and processing capacity by procuring modern milling machines, Governor Douye Diri announced Thursday during the World Food Day celebrations at Peace Park, Yenagoa.
According to Diri, the new equipment, which includes automated dryers, boilers, and colour separation machines, will complement existing machinery supplied through a partnership with the Korean government, enabling the state to produce up to 40 tonnes of rice daily.
Speaking to farmers who displayed their produce at the event, the Governor reaffirmed the administration’s support for local agriculture through loans, modern farming training, and infrastructure development.
"We went into partnership with the Korean government and they supplied us equipment that can produce 40 tonnes of rice daily.
"We were however lacking three equipment, which were automated dryer, boilers and colour separation machines. When the Agriculture Commissioner brought it to my knowledge, immediately government approved the purchase of the equipment and they are on their way," he said.
Governor Diri also disclosed that the administration has trained about 700 youths at CSS Farms in Nasarawa State and 200 others in soilless farming in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who are already making notable impacts in farming and fishing.
He mentioned he is satisfied these efforts are reflected in the drop in prices of essential commodities, including garri, and encouraged greater investment in cassava production to stabilise food prices.
"We are happy to hear that prices of essential commodities are dropping. We encourage more people to go into cassava production so that the price of garri will be stable," he said.
The government is also rehabilitating fish farms at Yenigue and Angalabiri, with plans to construct a road from Glory Drive to the Yenigue farm to facilitate produce evacuation.
He urged the Ijaw ethnic group to embrace large-scale farming while discouraging the use of chemicals in food processing and preservation.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof Beke Sese, added that another 200 youths have been approved for training in cassava, fish farming, and vegetable cultivation at CSS Farms.
Sese announced that trainees receive starter packs and are organised into clusters to become the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.
During the 2024 dry farming season, he revealed, the government supported farmers with rice seedlings, irrigation kits, over 20,000 bundles of cassava stems, and more than 5,000 bags of fertiliser.
The ministry also collaborated with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research to improve oil palm seedlings and provided funding to 100 agricultural entrepreneurs, he added.
In their goodwill messages, Mercy Igbani, Kingdom Obira, Itari Uwotu, Josephine Akari and Victory Ichie, on behalf of the Otuokpoti Rice Cluster, Agripreneurs, CSS Trainees, Cassava Farmers and LIFE-ND/IFAD respectively, thanked government for the grant they received to add value to the agric sector.
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