Cross River Basins to revive agriculture, food chain business in Nigeria

The Cross River Basins Development Authorities (CRBDA) has said the agency plans to revive agriculture and food chain business in Nigeria.  Speaking yesterday in Uyo, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, Chairman, Governing Board of Cross River Basins Authorities, said the concept would be achieved  through the revival of the management of surface and underground water resources, andmobilisation […]

The Cross River Basins Development Authorities (CRBDA) has said the agency plans to revive agriculture and food chain business in Nigeria. 

Speaking yesterday in Uyo, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, Chairman, Governing Board of Cross River Basins Authorities, said the concept would be achieved  through the revival of the management of surface and underground water resources, andmobilisation of available resources in agriculture.

He said the resusitation of the water resources is part of the efforts of CRBDA to grow the agricultural food chain sector in the region, adding that the plan would trigger growth in the agricultural  sector and help in diversifying the economy.

He said the rice farms in Akwa Ibom State and similar projects in Cross River State were part of the resuscitation plan intended to make farmers enjoy the benefits of their investment.

He added that many policies of the federal government in that regard were aimed at turning around the sector.

He however expressed regret that states are not keying into the programmes and policies of the federal government to boost food production in the country.

“The federal government is determined to grow the sector and has come up with innovative policies not only to ensure food sufficiency but to boast value chain addition.

“But what we have seen is that most governments at sub-national level are not buying into it, if they should, there wouldn’t be anybody going around to look for white collar jobs,” he said.

Eyiboh noted that the dearth of ideas and innovations has been responsible for the inability of Nigeria River Basins Development Authorities to deliver on their mandates leading to food insufficiency in the past.

He advised farmers to form cooperatives to enable them benefit from the various programmes of the federal government including the various borrower schemes being made available by the present administration.

“Before now there was a decline in value change where farmers were no longer having the benefit of their labour” regretting that the middlemen who buy from them were the one having the field day.