The Bayelsa State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP) has declared its readiness for the implementation of the programme in the various communities of the State.
RAAMP said, despite the difficulties experienced by Farmers in rural areas, the sensitization and implementation exercise of the programme will ensure that major agricultural produce gets to the market.
Speaking at the sensitization workshop Thursday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. David Alagoa declared that the Bayelsa Government has fully met all the necessary criteria for the take-off of the programme.
Alagoa maintained that the inauguration of the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU and the release of the state counterpart fund by the state Governor attest to the fact that agriculture is a major plank upon which the Prosperity Government is anchored.
He stated that despite the identified difficulties faced in the agricultural sector which led to difficulty in delivery of farming produce, the RAAMP is set to rectify the identified bottlenecks and adopt proper sensitization of stakeholders in the rural communities which are the ultimate beneficiaries of the project.
He stated that the project will adopt a strategic approach towards sensitization in order to bring a wider cross-section of all stakeholders on the same page for the success of the programme.
He also pointed out that available statistics and data revealed that a lot of farmers are losing about 60% of their harvest because of lack of accessibility to market, adding that sensitisation will be carried out in all LGA of the state.
He said: ” A lot of these programmes and projects fail over time because they are not well sensitized and it is so important that the sensitization takes a very strategic dimension.
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“So this is where we come in, we are going to be planning a very strategic sensitization project. So, if we are going to make roads in the hinterlands then these sensitizations really should be happening there.
“How can someone in Ekeremor get to know that you are going to make a road for him when you are talking about it in Yenagoa? Definitely, we have to go into the hinterlands in all the local governments otherwise we will not achieve our objectives.
“Because if we look at statistics and data a lot of farmers are losing up to 60% of their harvest simply because they cannot reach the market, so if we cannot reach the farmers and get them to reach the market and we are taking in Yenagoa alone then we are not achieving anything. We are going to go as far as possible to sensitize the people to get everybody involved.”
Also speaking, the Bayelsa State Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. (Dr) Paul Ebienfa said the state has made significant progress since the introduction of the programme in 2021, stating that there are some significant milestones to be accomplished before the state can satisfy all requirements for full implementation.
Ebienfa solicited the support of all critical stakeholders and well-meaning Bayelsans to ensure that RAAMP takes off fully in the state within the shortest possible time.
He commended the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri for his unrelenting support for SPIU and for releasing the state counterpart fund.
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