Cooperative Society Seeks Government Intervention

Members of the New Day Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society in Ora, Edo state has called on the federal, state governments, noble Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and well-meaning citizens in and outside the country to come to their aid by assisting them open up and grade the access road that leads to their farmland, enabling access to cheap inputs, herbicides from the open market at open market price and also access to modern farm machineries to reduce cost of production for them.

The farmers who are currently engaged in a rural based development program to grow agricultural enterprise, driven by a private led initiative tagged Eme-Ora Rice Growing Experience Program with the aim of expanding market participation and increasing agric productivity by improving the yield of crops like rice, beans, okro and tomatoes in the country at large.

the Vice Chairman of the Cooperative, Mr Anthony Igbigbi, who spoke to newsmen after a visit to the farmland said that the Eme-Ora Owan west local government area of Edo state is an important centre mapped for rice cultivation and presently cultivates four varieties of rice.

He further disclosed that the organizers have empowered and engaged more than 39 genuine and verified farmers through the program.

Meanwhile the Coordinator of the Eme-Ora Rice Growing Experience Mr Badaiki Mathew also said the EORGEP started operating in February 2019, after the Eme-Ora in council approved 1000hecters of arable land situated in Ogbo-Iwuobe community in Ora.

While stressing that the program is a rural based developmental program targeted at empowering farmers who are least served by existing market and also give the farmers the opportunity of being part of national growth string as this would enable them achieve greater food security and income stability.

Badaiki said the New Day Fadama Multipurpose Cooperative are currently farming on 85hectres of the land, making it the largest cluster farm in the south-south zone.