With the successful training of 4,373 incubatees by 100 incubators along the agric value chain of Poultry, Fisheries, Oil palm production/processing and cassava production/processing, the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger Delta-LIFE-ND project in Delta State, Thursday, stole the show at this year’s celebration of World Food Day in the state.
The event, which took place at the Cenotaph in Asaba, the State capital, with the theme: “Hand in Hand for Better Life and a Better Future”, saw many of the LIFE-ND Project incubatees, now incubators display their farm produce, in line with the value chain.
Some of the displayed farm produce were dried fish, processed cassava, palm oil, eggs and others, an indication of the positive impact the Project has made in the lives of the beneficiaries, many of whom are now self employed.
One of the incubatees, now an incubator, Mrs.Lorine Opute and owner/Manager of Lorine and sons Agric Business Venture, specializing in fisheries and located at Umusam-Ogbe, kwale said, “I trained as an incubatee, but now I am an incubator in fisheries, and by the grace of God, I’m a self-employed fish farmer.
“You can see my smoked fish on display here. At the moment, I have four ponds of 10×10’m in side, with a capacity of 2,000 fishes each, and I’ve started to sell to the public. LIFE-ND has made me to know that there is money in fisheries; I thank them for training me ,”she added.
Another, Mr. Oku Ijoma, who is the owner/manager of Kosovet Nig. Company, said, with the help of the LIFE-ND Project, he had trained over 150 person on cassava food chain enterprises; which include cassava sterm multiplication, processing, modern cassava processing, Garri marketing, and agro-chemicals spraying.
Displaying what he called, “Health Garri or AKPM Garri” at the event, he disclosed that the product is low in sugar, therefore it’s good for those who are diabetic, fast to prepare for eating like semovita, and could be preserved for up to 12 months without going stale.
He, therefore, commended the LIFE-ND Project in Delta State for having the vision to provide agric-based training for the youth and women-headed household in the State, and prayed that they sustain the project, as it has positively impacted lives, especially in the rural areas.
However, speaking at the event, the Delta State Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Mr. Collins Ashoro, expressed joy that many of the LIFE-ND Project trained persons, who had become self employed had taken to farming proper, and were at the event to showcase their farm produce. “This is a testament to the success of the LIFE-ND Project in Delta State,” he said.
“The LIFE-ND Project has been on ground in Delta State for six years, and through its unique training model of Incubator/Incubatee, many youths in the State have trained along our various agric value chain, and today they are here to tell their success story to the world, with their farm produce. They are doing well,” Mr. Ashoro added.
