<<< By Tahav Agerzua >>>
The Benue State Government would revive produce marketing boards to ensure that surplus agricultural products are bought off from farmers at a good price to encourage sustainable cultivation.
Governor Samuel Ortom gave the assurance in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation of the China-Africa Development Fund led by its Chairman, Mr. Chi Jianxin on the eve of his departure to the United States of America.
He noted that the strategy was a global best practice adding that farmers in the state have cultivated massively due to government advocacy for a return to agriculture and that a bumper harvest was being expected while stressing the need for them to be encouraged to keep the tempo.
The Governor expressed appreciation to the China-African Development Fund for showing interest in the state and solicited the cooperation of the organisation towards developing the agricultural value chain and other opportunities in the state.
He urged the delegation to invest in the provision of critical infrastructure in the state including road construction, power generation and agro processing assuring that the organised private sector would be mobilized to synergize with them even as the state government would provide the enabling environment.
In his response, the Chairman, Mr. Jianxin, said the meeting was to find out from the Governor specific areas of priority in which the state required the intervention of the fund.
He assured that when details were worked out, various Chinese companies would be mobilised to carry out projects that would boost the economy of the state.