From Ali Rabiu Muhammad
Federal Government says it will access about 700m Dollars facility to establish Agro Industrial Processing Zones in six states to reduce unemployment and insecurity in the country.
Engr, Maruf Ajenifuja of the Project Coordinating Units ,Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development made the disclosure while speaking with Journalists during a pre appraisal visit by the team to the project site in Kwara state.
According to him about, 500m Dollars will be sourced from African Development Bank and 200m Dollars from International Funds for Agriculture Development by the Federal government on behalf of the states.
Engr, Ajenifuja explained that the purpose of the establishment of the Agro Industrial Processing Zone is to enable farmers add value to their produce to make them marketable.
Acting Country Director of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Dr Patric Habamenshi said the idea of the project was to give farmers the opportunity to increase their income.
Earlier in his address, the Technical Assistant to Kwara State Governor on Agriculture, Abdulquawiy Olododo said the state government chose to invest in livestock production based on its comparative advantage to other areas of agriculture.