Bayelsa sets for agricultural revolution

By Ebiowei Lawal

YENAGOA-The government of Bayelsa state says it has put all necessary mechanism in place to launch the state into the post oil and gas era come 2020.

The commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Doodei Week stated this during the inter-ministerial media briefing at Gabriel O’Mara cultural center in Yenagoa.

Highlighting the achievements of his ministry, he said the state has completed a 500 earth pond fish farm project sitting on a 127 hectare land at Edepie in Yenagoa.

According to him, the farm has the capacity to breed 6000 fishes in one full circle and government has installed 30 smoking kilns that could smoke 7.5 tons fish every three days for export and local consumption.

Ads

Explaining further, he said the farm has a feed mill that can produce 20 tons of fish feeds per day that would service the farm and meet the demand of private fish farmers in the state.

“We didn’t stop there. We also built a hatchery that has the capacity to hatch over 8 million quality fingerlings every year. And by so doing, we don’t have to go out to buy fingerlings for breeding.” He added.

Other facilities at the farm according to him include a 15KVA solar inverter and a 30, 000 gallon capacity water station powered by 7.5 horse power sumo pump.

To ensure self-sufficiency and food security in the state come 2020, the state has cultivated a 200 hectare cassava farm at Ebedebiri in Sagbama Local Government Area.

Revealing the potentials of the farm, Doodei said the state has installed a cassava mill that has the capacity to produce 60 tons of starch for export and it is said to be first of its kind across the country.

Other projects embarked upon by his ministry he said includes Outgrower’s Rice Scheme on a 20 hectare land at Otuasega, 10 hectares at Tombia and 100 hectares at Burma. 5 hectares Plantain and Banana farm has also been cultivated at Amurukani and 30 hectares farm that has the capacity to produce 1000 tons of vegetables all year round.