Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has said his administration will support genuine farmers and private investors by providing infrastructure and other incentives needed to expand businesses and create jobs.
Oborevwori stated this on Saturday during an inspection of Tatcha Farms in Okuloho, Okpe Local Government Area, as well as Amity Global Farms and Manroy Livestock Farms at Ohorhe 1, Uvwie Local Government Area.
The governor said government support for businesses would not always come in the form of direct financial assistance, but through infrastructure and an environment that would enable investors to grow.
He said the recent Delta State Economic and Investment Summit was organised to expose investment opportunities in the state, especially in agriculture, and attract investors from Nigeria and abroad.
According to him, the state’s economic team has been directed to visit farms and businesses across Delta to identify their challenges and determine areas where government intervention could help them expand.
Oborevwori disclosed that the government had awarded a contract for a 33kV electricity line, which he said would improve power supply to farms and businesses in the affected areas.
He added that ongoing road projects would make it easier for farmers to transport their produce to markets, while promising to construct an access road linking the Warri-Sapele Expressway to the community where Amity Global Farms is located.
The governor also said the state’s agricultural intervention programmes would cover small-scale farmers, stressing that government would ensure that fertiliser and other farm inputs reach genuine farmers.
He warned beneficiaries against reselling the inputs.
Oborevwori urged civil servants and other residents to consider farming as a means of generating additional income, creating jobs and improving food security.
At Tatcha Farms, the Chief Executive Officer, Olorogun Alfred Mrakpor, thanked the governor for visiting the farm and said the visit provided an opportunity to highlight its contribution to food production, employment and agricultural development.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Amity Global Farms, Mr Idama Amurun, said the company was seeking partnerships with Brazilian investors and the Delta State Government to expand cassava production and establish processing plants.
Amurun said cassava could be processed into industrial starch, ethanol and other products, adding that such investments could create significant employment opportunities.
He disclosed that the farm currently employs more than 300 workers and produces crops including pepper and cucumber.
However, he identified inadequate financing, delays in the supply of day-old chicks, limited facilities and accommodation, as well as difficulty accessing land, as some of the challenges affecting the farm’s expansion.
