By Edidiong Obot
UYO
In a bid to create accessible link between the rural areas and urban centers, the Akwa Ibom government will revamp 486 rural roads across the State.
The commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Offiong Offor, gave the hint in Uyo, during a ministerial briefing on Arise Scorecard Season 1.0, tagged: Food Security and Sufficiency.
Offor said the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), sponsored by the State government, World Bank and French Development Agency, will open up the rural areas, where agricultural activities are mainly carried out.
She further noted, “When the rural roads are fixed, there will be a reduction in post-harvest losses, as farm produce will be easily conveyed to the urban areas.”
While fielding questions from journalists at the briefing organised by the Ministry of Information, the discussant highlighted government’s commitment to food production through distribution of farm inputs to different farmers and cooperative groups training.
Offor maintained that the AK-CARES project is another State government intervention in collaboration with the World Bank, which has contributed to poverty alleviation, hunger eradication and reducing the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
According to her, Governor Umo Eno has supported public secondary schools and boarding schools in providing food for their students, by giving them farm inputs.
She emphasised on the importance of cooperative groups in increasing food production; adding that when people come together, they crossbreed ideas, easily access finance and stand a chance of having more resources for production and encouraged group farming over individual farming.
The agric commissioner further informed that the Young Farmers Club has been revived in public schools to foster interest and participation of students in farming activities.
In his remarks, the commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, underscored the significance of the briefing in effectively communicating government’s efforts towards achieving food sufficiency and addressing multi-dimensional poverty, particularly in rural areas.
Also speaking, the commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, reflected on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which prompted the idea of the AK-CARES project to support vulnerable households and farmers across the state.
Bob disclosed that the State social register has about 2.3 million vulnerable households, who will benefit from the Bulk Purchase Intervention.
The consultant to the governor on Media, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, commended the initiatives on food availability, affordability and stability and urged Akwa Ibom people to embrace farming while supporting government’s investment in agriculture.
Throwing more light on the essence of Bulk Purchase Intervention, the chairman of the Agency, Mr Dan Akpan, assured the public of the quality of food items distributed and called on the people to support the intervention to succeed.
The interactive session had in attendance journalists from different media houses in the State.
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