….Deputy Chief of Party pledge to screw up partnership
By David Peter
The Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Benedict Ayade, as strengthen more partnership with a U.S based agricultural organization to upheaves the culture of farming activities, also, providing a conducive environs and mobility to ease extension programs in the state as anchored by FEED THE FUTURE.
David Peter, interviewing the Deputy Chief of Party, FEED THE FUTURE; Farouk Kurawa, he briefed the press men on is organization key objectives and its focus here in cross river state.
The Deputy Chief of Party expressed that, “Feed the Future project is a project funded by the United State Agency for International Development and under FEED THE FUTURE there are several different activities. ” Our owed program in Nigeria is Agribusiness, Finance and Investment Activity, its the activity that seek to support agribusinesses in Cross river state and other selected six states”.
Farouk, further expunge on the relevancy of the organization to strengthen policy making and harness food potentials in cross river state.
He said, “The essence of our organization here in Cross river state is to work closely with the state government in other to support them in terms of policy issues, drafting of new policies, helping the government to review new policy in the state to make it feasible and up-to-date. He added, “This policy are policies that affect agribusinesses negatively in the state and cross river is amongst one of the state we are operating”.
Continuing, “Also, Our main objective is to work collaboratively with the financial institution to help facilitate access to finance and investment for agribusinesses in the state. He expressed that, “Farmers is very important and for them to expand or grow their business in the state they need money and more often they don’t have money that’s why we develop partnership with the banks and financial institutions to provide farmers access to credit in the state”.
In addition, “We facilitate financial and linkable agro viables between producers association and off taker’s. “Most of the time you find out that small holder farmers they produce and do not have where to sell their products and, you can also find out that processing industries set up factories and, do not know were to access raw materials so the essence of workforce in cross river state is to bridge the gap so they can work together to provide that linkage. “We provide the Linkage so that they can interact commercially as a business”. He said.
The Deputy Chief of Party, Farouk Kurawa, satisfy his utterance on the government supporting the organization to firm balance in the state.
Farouk speaking, “The Cross River State Government has been very supportive to our organization. “The Governor provided an office space for our state Cordinator and, he also provided a vehicle for us to do our activities in the state. “So, the State government has been very supportive and we are also committed to support them in other to grow agribusinesses in the state very well”. Farouk, cheerfully ended.