By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

CROSS River State government has given a loan of N26 million to about 132 yam farmers in the state through its Micro Finance Enterprise Development Agency, MEDA, to help them boost their yam production this year.

Already one of the beneficiaries of the loan, Mrs. Comfort Obeten Ibiang has emerged as the second best yam harvester for 2012 in the just  concluded Leboku International New Yam Festival and was presented with a price of a complete cassava processing machine with a dryer and also a pick up van.

Speaking in an interview, the Director General of MEDA, Mr. Ignatius Atsu said that the governor Liyel Imoke’s led administration was committed towards promoting agriculture in the state as well as encouraging farmers to boost production.

Atsu said that the MEDA has successfully supported agricultural enterprise development programme for yam farmers in Yakurr Local Government Area of the state and that the programme was designed in line with the governor’s promise during the 2011 Leboku New Yam Festival to assist yam farmers expand their production at Yakurr and Bakor new yam festivals respectively.

…Yam tubers and yam plantation

He said, “In keeping to his promise, the governor  mandated the MEDA to support the yam farmers in Yakurr and Ogoja Local Government Areas to boost the production of yam, not just for consumption but also for commercial purposes.

“The Agency immediately swung into action by engaging the relevant stakeholders in the two Local Government Areas to select recognized farmers in their locality. In yakurr, ten yam farmers were selected from each ward, making a total of 130 yam farmers made up of 34 females and 96 males from the 13 wards of the council.

“The selected farmers were then trained in life skills and enterprise development by MEDA between November 28 and December 3, 2011 in two centers; Yakurr council hall for the participants from the eight wards of constituency 1 and Nko town hall from the five wards of constituency 11.

“After the enterprise development training, the sum of N200, 000 was disbursed to each of the farmers to expand their farms. To further strengthen capacity of the farmers, MEDA also collaborated with the Agricultural Development Programme, ADP to provide training covering improved farming techniques, use of improved varieties etc and to provide monitoring and evaluation services in all farms,” Atsu said.