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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Cassava production has received a boost in Delta State following the training of 145 cassava farmers under the state Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) of the state Job Creation Bureau.
Tagged Orientation and Farm Enterprise Training (OFET), Chief Job Creation Officer in the state, Prof. Eric Eboh said the training is designed to enrol the 145 beneficiaries who are the first batch of the seventh (2022) YAGEP cycle.
Eboh said the beneficiaries also known as Brown YAGEPreneurs already have agricultural skills and own agricultural enterprises but were given refresher training in practical and managerial skills.
“OFET is aimed at making existing youth agricultural entrepreneurs become better managers of resources and more successful and sustainable in their agricultural businesses,” he added.
Eboh said the training would be followed with the provision of support packages including money for critical farm labour in land preparation, weeding and harvesting.
“Throughout the production cycle, the beneficiaries will be exposed to and tutored in best agricultural practices in farm enterprise management, innovative production technologies and profitable agribusiness,” Eboh also stated.
According to him, since 2015, YAGEP produced 1,520 beneficiaries in various agricultural enterprises including poultry, crop production, piggery, fish production, agro-processing and agribusiness.
He said YAGEP was contributing significantly to agricultural outputs and overall growth of the agricultural sector in Delta State, noting that the programme has elevated the interest of youths in productive and gainful employment along the agricultural value chain.
“Also, it has impacted tremendously on the agricultural economy of the state through the contribution of agricultural outputs, demonstration of agricultural technologies and spillover effects,” he added.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked the state government for the programme and promised to utilize the skills and support package to improve their respective farm enterprises.
