Addressing members of the Committee with the Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh as Chairman, Senator Okowa, said constituting the AMCC is a clear indication of bountiful harvest of agricultural produce in the State and of the need to manage the situation well..
He stressed that no significant achievement would be made in the Agricultural Sector if there is no sustainable value chain such as a reliable market outlet and good storage facilities for farm produce.
Governor Okowa said the aim was to “develop the Agricultural Sector in line with the Delta State objectives of economic diversification, food security, self-reliance and prosperity for all Deltans. This is in consonance with our electoral promise to reform the Agricultural Sector for the purpose of wealth creation, boosting employment, achieving value addition and sustainable economic growth.”
While stating that substantial resources, personnel, time and energy have been invested to stimulate agricultural production through the Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP), he said this would make farming attractive and make farmers prosper from the work of their hands.
He gave the terms of reference as-
- - identify existing and potential markets for agricultural produce and device measures and arrangements for farmers to access those markets;
- -obtain and disseminate market information to agricultural producers and thereby improve information flow between farmers (sellers) and processors (buyers);
- -proffer measures for boosting market infrastructure and facilities such as warehouses, cold storage and output aggregation centres;
- -identify and coordinate measures for facilitating the links between production clusters/farmers and off-takers within and outside the state;
- -identify and coordinate actionable measures to encourage market-oriented production by farmers;
- -organise and facilitate capacity building for marketing intermediaries and brokerage agents along the commodity marketing channels and
- -collaborate with national and international agencies in tackling the agricultural marketing problems faced by farmers.
Members of the committee were drawn from relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), commodity associations and from the organised private sector. They are (1) The Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh –Chairman; (2) Hon Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Austin Chikezie, Member; (3) Hon Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr (Mrs) Mary Iyasere- Member; (4) Executive Secretary of Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Mrs Bello Shimite- Member; (5) A Representative of YAGEPreneurs (Crop)- Member; (6) A Representative of YAGEPreneurs (Livestock)- Member; (7) Mr Godfrey Osakwe, (Private Sector)- Member; (8) Prof Philip Kuale, (Fish Farmer)- Member and (9) Hon Paul Okpue (Tomatoes Farmer)- Member. Others are (10) Chief Joseph, Ogbudeke- Member; (11) Mr Joshua Adjarho Oghenekaro, (Plantain Farmer)- Member; (12) Dr Philip Okwada, (Poultry Farmer)- Member; (13) Mr Gery Ossai (Private Sector)- Member; (14) Hon Barr Raymos Guanah, (Rice Farmer)- Member; (15) Mr Michael Ayagbe, (Private Sector)- Member and (16) Secretary- to be provided by the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer.
Responding on behalf of the AMCC, the Chairman, Prof Eric Eboh, expressed appreciation to the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for finding them worthy to serve the State in that capacity. He said constituting the committee was timely as urgent steps were needed to address the difficulties encountered by farmers in marketing their farm produce, adding that market outlets is as important as agricultural produce