Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC and the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB have promised to continue to take steps towards developing the interest of the younger generation in agricultural activities.
Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board,SUBEB, Hon (Chief) Samuel Mariere made the promise when UBEC and SUBEB led pupils of selected public primary and junior secondary schools in Delta North on an excursion to Royal Farm Yard, Umunede in Ika North East local government area of the state.
Mariere accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor Oborevwori on Agriculture, Chief George Oyefia, Permanent Secretary Subeb, Mr Byron Unini and Directors in the Board, said earnings from Agricultural was capable of transforming the nation’s economy.
The Subeb Boss said the excursion to the Royal Farm Yard was a follow up to the one organized for pupils and students in Delta Central and South senatorial districts to Ophromo Farms limited in Evwreni, Ughelli North local government area.
Hon Mariere explained that the exercise was part of planned process to making the pupils and students develop interest in farming and other agricultural activities at a tender age.
Disclosing that the programme was a collaborative effort between federal and the Delta state governments, the two terms member of the Delta State House of Assembly and former Commissioner for Water Resources Development, said the pupils and students were being exposed to great opportunities in agriculture, adding that agriculture will continue to be the main stay of the global economy.
Hon Mariere commended the Federal and Delta State Government for counterpart funding that had enabled UBEC and SUBEB executing programmes for basic and junior secondary education sub sector.
The Subeb Chairman emphasized that production of food crops and livestocks is key to sufficient food security, jobs and wealth creation, while calling on pupils and students of Delta State to take advantage of the opportunities in agriculture.
He urged teachers to ensure that experiences gathered from the tour of the farms and technical sessions be implemented at their various schools, even as he commended management of the farms for the exposure granted the pupils and students on opportunities in farming and the value chains in agriculture.
The Special Adviser to the Governor of Agriculture, Chief George Oyefia, while speaking during the technical session, said agriculture is a money spinning business, adding that the richest people on earth are farmers and encouraged the pupils and students to engaged in agriculture at their tender age.
Chief Oyefia, also a former Lawmaker, said any body can venture into the business of farming and other agricultural activities as it requires little to start a small farm.
He noted that he was a successful farmer even as a politician, noting that at eleven years while in the village school he took to farming, and called on the pupils and students to do same at their tender age.
The Manager of the farm, Mr Clinton Egiato, who conducted the pupils and students amongst others round the various sections of the farm, collaborated the fact that there is profit in agriculture, saying that only sales of eggs from the farm run into millions per day.
He said the farm is majorly into livestock production, including castles, chickens, goat, fish, turkey and pigs, and charged the pupils and students to take advantage of knowledge gained from the excursion exercise.
Others who spoke including the pupils and students commended the federal and Delta state government for the initiative to expose children to agriculture and the opportunities in it, even as they promised to key into farming.