March 27, (THEWILL) — Benue State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in conjunction with the Renewed Hope Agenda and other donor agencies, distributed assorted farm inputs to 1,200 farmers in the Yelwata community to boost their agricultural productivity.
Speaking at the ceremony on Wednesday, the Secretary to the Benue State Government, Mrs Deborah Aber, represented by Mr Julius Ngutor, commended the beneficiaries and the entire Yelwata community for their orderly conduct during the exercise.
She encouraged them to ensure judicious application of the inputs to enhance their economic well-being, while assuring them of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to permanently addressing the security challenges facing the area.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Benjamin Ashaver, stated that the state government was fully committed to cushioning the effects of the challenges faced by farmers in crisis-affected areas, particularly in Yelwata.
Represented by the Programme Desk Officer in the Ministry, Mr Victor Beeior, the Commissioner noted that the Ministry and the state government were aware of the difficulties confronting the community and were working tirelessly to improve their living conditions.
The Commissioner stressed the need to handle all assistance through others to those affected transparently, noting that such efforts were to console people whose normal lives were disrupted.
He appreciated the contributions of Development Partners and asked beneficiaries to make the most of the inputs to encourage further government support.
Speaking on behalf of the community elders, Mr Timothy Ikyapa expressed gratitude to the government and donor agencies for their timely intervention, especially following the recent attacks in the area.
He specifically appreciated the Renewed Hope Agenda, championed by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Benue State Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Office of the SSG for their continued support.
He, however, appealed for additional assistance, particularly in the provision of farm implements such as cutlasses, hoes, and axes, noting that many were lost during the attacks and have not been replaced.
Items including herbicides, organic fertilisers, improved maize seeds, okra, spinach, and other essential farm inputs were distributed.
