By Edna Emeni
LIVELIHOOD Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project has taken a step further to up the fortunes of farmers in Delta State with the launch of the Delta State LIFE-ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum (LABiF).
The LIFE – ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum (LABiF) is an institutional platform, established under the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Projects for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), designed to support and empower small holder farmers, particularly youth and women in the N/Delta region by enhancing their participation in agricultural value chains.
In Delta State, the value chains in which the state has comparative advantage are: Cassava production/processing, oil palm production, poultry and Fisheries.
Speaking at the event, which took place, in Asaba, the State capital, the Delta State Project Coordinator, Mr Ashoro Collins, took the participants through the history of the LIFE – ND Project, the objective and landmark achievements, saying that the overall objective is to provide employment through agriculture to the youth and woman – headed household in the Niger Delta region, address the vexed issue of food security and many more.
In particular, Mr Ashoro emphasized the success of the model adopted by the LIFE-ND Project in the region, which is the “Incubator -Incubatee” model, likened to the “Master servant” business, that has produced no less than 4, 373 trained farmers in the state.
Also addressing the participants/stakeholders at the launch, which included representatives of Zenith Bank, Bank of Agriculture, Women in Agriculture, Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Corporation, Impact Suppliers, Offtakers, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Standard Organization of Nigeria and Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Dr Clement Owen, gave an overview of the structure, objectives and importance of LAbiF, stressing that Nigerians, and by implication, those in Delta State and the entire N/Delta region must embrace Agribusiness, and eat what they grow as food security was becoming a daily challenge.
While saying that, with no less than 4,373 beneficiaries of the LIFE-ND Project in Delta State, the Project in the State is doing well, Dr Owen said the key objectives and achievements of LAbiF is to create the necessary market linkages that would connect small producers with key actors and ensure that farmers in the State have better access to markets, and reduce the risk of surplus and price instability.
This, he said was in addition to foster trust and cooperation among stakeholders in the agricultural sector and create a platform for sharing innovative solution and best practices, and build stronger institutional structures that would address the challenges faced by small holder farmers, among others.
The event, which witnessed the stakeholders’ interaction, afforded then the opportunity to disclose the various plans, programmes and ways they have designed to positively assist/impact the small holder farmers in the State, and their readiness to partner with LIFE-ND Project in Delta State on training, facilities for farmers and export of agricultural produce.
Highpoint of the launch was the election and inauguration of officers to man the affairs of LAbiF in the State, and the cutting of the cake to formalise the launch.
The officers are: Mrs Fidelia Owens (Chairperson); Mr OlaibiOlareulaju (Vice Chairman); Mr ChuksDibiagu (Secretary); Mr Sibero Christopher (Financial Secretary), and Mrs Gloria Okolie (Auditor).
Other are: Mrs Mordi Grace (Women Leader), IkieOgheneume (PRO) and Ekiookenegha Good luck (Youth Leader).
