FG to engage 6,000 youths in agriculture

About 6,000 youths are to be engaged in agricultural enterprises by the Federal Government and the World Bank under the FADAMA III Project under the Graduate Unemployment Youths Support Scheme known as FADAMA GUYSS. The Fadama National Project Coordinator (NPC), Mr Tayo Adewumi said this in Akure, the Ondo State capital during the meeting with the Ondo State Federated Fadama Community Association (FFCA). Adewunmi said under the scheme, about 300 youths from ages 18 to 35 would be encouraged to go into agriculture as a profession and business in about 20 states. Nigerian youths He said in subsequent programmes,

between 500 and 1,000 youths would be accommodated under the scheme. According to him: “The programme, named GUYS, is to encourage youths from the ages of 18 to 35 and maximum of 40 years to go into agriculture as a profession and business. By study, real farmers are aging, some dead and old. To start with, 15 to 20 states, including Ondo, will be among the first phase of 200 to 300 youths per state. “By end of June, starter packs should be given to the youths based on different enterprise of interest like aquaculture, or poultry. “My coming to Ondo State is at right time because we have a lot to anchor this year for our youths in the country”, he said. The Coordinator said a good number of youths can be taken away from social vices and restiveness through agriculture adding that there was a plan for Sunshine rice in Ondo State before the end of the year. Speaking earlier, the Ondo State FFCA Chairman, Mr Akin Olotu appreciated the NPC of the FADAMA Project for its land mark achievement across the nooks and crannies of the nation. Olotu noted that efforts by the FFCA to secure a friendly credit portfolio for members to revive their projects have not been easy and had become a great source of discouragement to the members. According to him, FFCA was able to secure some hectares of land from the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority for use by members for cluster farming but were constrained because of lack of tractors. Olotu said “We only have 13 tractors in whole of the state and the tractors are not in good condition and we have been told that it will take over N1million to repair them.