By Emma Una, CALABAR

CROSS River State Government is combating unemployment and poverty by training and funding two hundred youths to engage in mass maize farming.

The farmers are being provided 240 hectres of lland and maize seedlings and land for the cultivator of the crop in the three Senatorial districts of the the state.

The state governor, Senator Bassey Otu while flagging off the programme told the young maize farmers in Efioedem, Ekpenidem and Ekim Ebebit communities at Ekpenidem Town Council Hall on Thursday that the project would sustained to engage more youths.

He said they should apply the knowledge gained during the training to equip them with the needed skills, adding that the maize farmers have prospects of breaking even and turning themselves to millionaires in the nearest future.

Representing the governor, Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo stated that the 200 maize farmers are given starting finds of N1m grant by ‘Project Grow’ agricultural scheme to boost maize cultivation in the test run phase.

Flagging the project off, at the proposed maize field at Akim Ebebit, where two bulldozers ploughing the land for farmers to commence planting of maize, Otu said, “I think we have excess of 200 farmers, that is because the land that is available had been mapped for this test -run phase, it is about 120 hectares in Odukpani.

“I know these activities are taking place simultaneously in Obanlikwu and Obubra totalling about 240 hectares that is available for the first phase

“We are also cultivating cassava too, we will also go to the third phase in this season. If it goes well, the next season, we will do soya beans and cowpea as well.

“There is a lot of arable land here but Its difficult to cultivate. The cost of opening up land is expensive.
“In order for us to open up land in a sustainable manner, and preserve forest ecology, we decided to group every body in one place, to enable the four communities who donated land cultivate on the land.”

In her remarks, Nigerian Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services , SAID Mrs. Faith Omori, who spoke in company of Project Grow Technical Director, Denis Ikpali advocated for women inclusion in the maize cultivation project.