By Festus Ahon

As part of the Federal Government’s moves to ensure food sufficiency and security, the Delta State government through its Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme, YAGEP, has begun the production of rice in 10 kilogram packs.

Okowa

YAGEP, which is part of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s job creation programme, was established to create decent and gainful youth employment through the agricultural value chain, boost agricultural productivity as well as diversify the economy of the state.

The design of YAGEP integrates agricultural training (instructional and fieldwork), personal effectiveness training, enterprise incubation, agricultural entrepreneurship training, farm enterprise establishment in clusters and mentorship.

Under the YAGEP, a total of 757 previously unemployed youths have been trained, established and mentored in agricultural enterprises over the three successive years/cycles of implementation – 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/2018.

The YAGEP rice initiative started in 2017 with the cultivation of 74 hectares at Ugili-Amai, Ndokwa West Local Government Area.

Subsequently in 2018, the initiative involved the cultivation of 42 hectares of rice at Deghele, Sapele Local Government Area and 54 hectares at Mbiri, Ika North East Local Government Area.

During the 2018 production year, the process involved 48 youth trainees working under close tutorials, facilitation and guidance of the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer through knowledgeable and experienced resource persons from within and outside the state.

The rice value chain initiative involves instructional and field-based training, farm enterprise incubation and establishment of youths through the entire process of rice production, processing, packaging, branding and marketing.

The programme activities include soil tests and site selection, land preparation (clearing, ploughing and harrowing), seed treatment and planting, soil treatment, weeds prevention and control, fertilizer application, prevention and control of pests and diseases and birds scaring.

Other operations include harvesting (cutting and packing), threshing, drying, winnowing, washing/parboiling, milling, destoning and packaging/bagging.

The cultivation, harvesting, threshing, drying, parboiling, milling, destoning and bagging operations were carried out with participation of the YAGEPreneurs.

All the inputs, technologies and materials used in the rice production and processing and packaging operations were provided by the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer.

The Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh in a chat with Sunday Vanguard said; “the trainees have been programmed to acquire skills for practical knowledge, entrepreneurship and self-employment in the rice value chain, comprising rice farming, rice pre-processing, rice processing and rice marketing.

“As strategy, the trainings are integrated in the rice production and processing activities in order to achieve maximum impact and sustainability. The trainees were taken through the entire range of rice production activities – soil tests and site selection, mechanical land clearing and land preparation, seed treatment and sowing, soil treatment and management, pest and disease control measures, weed prevention and control measures, birds prevention and control measures, harvesting, threshing, winnowing, parboiling, milling, packaging and branding.

“The performance of the trainees in the two rice farm clusters – Deghele and Mbiri – is satisfactory. The trainees, otherwise called YAGEPreneurs, will apply the knowledge and skills to continue production and maintain self-employment.

Effects on the economy of the state.

“Rice is one of the priority agricultural commodities in the state. The production of YAGEP rice has boosted economy of the state as well as demonstrated the potentials for creating youth employment through the rice value chain. The rice production system adopted under YAGEP provides critical demonstration effects on the rice economy of the state, as it involved the application of best agricultural practices.

“Many farmers have learnt new improved rice production techniques and practices through the YAGEP rice production process and are poised to applying same in their respective farm enterprises. Statistics derived from recent economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that agricultural sector in Delta State has grown at an annual average of 13.3% from 2015-2017, compared to 8.6% from 2013-2015. This accelerated growth of agriculture in the past 3 years (that is, since 2015) is a clear evidence of the positive impacts of YAGEP on the economy of the state.

“In addition, the success of YAGEP has encouraged youths towards seeking self-employment through agricultural entrepreneurship. This is reflected by the increasing demand for admission into YAGEP”.