National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
…Wants Govt’s Support
National Wire gathered that all was now set for the commencement of operation of the first Indigenous Fish hatchery and fish feeds factories in Bayelsa state.
Speaking with Journalists during a tour of ‘God is my light, Sea never dry farms’ in Ogbolomabiri(NEMBE city), in the Nembe Council area of Bayelsa state, the Chief executive officer of Joshua Robert Oruge enterprises, an Agricultural firm, Chief Joshua Robert Oruge hinted that plans have reached advanced stages for the operationalization of the factories in Nembe soon.
The entrepreneur who stated that he has been in agricultural business since 1996 advised Bayelsans not to depend solely on oil and gas, saying that the state has a vast arable land for agriculture, this was just as he reemphasized that it was high time the government started seeing agriculture as a veritable alternative to the hydrocarbon wealth of the state, also saying that agriculture has the potentials of turning the economic fortunes of the state around.
Oruge who also conducted Journalists round his plantation, consisting of various cash crops on one hand and no fewer than 10 deep fish ponds stated that the farm is seated on a 125,000 hectares of land, with the fish ponds alone having over 125,000 fingerlings of different species of fish.
He informed Journalists that between 1998-2016, he had also in the farm no fewer than 614 cows, a piggery on one hand and poultry too, regretting however, that due to poisoning of the consumption water for the cows by some undisclosed fellows, in less than two days he lost over 412 cows, hence he diverted attention to fish production.
He said: “We’ve never had any financial support from the Bayelsa state Government. Not even a dime has the government’s Ministry of Agriculture or other government own Agricutural related agency given me.I’ve severally applied for government’s support, in terms of Agricutural loans, but the government has not given me anything even as we speak. I’ve over 40 staffs working in this farm.”
“If I hadn’t brought you people, Journalists to this farm today, I believe you’ld not have believed that we’ve a farm as big as this in Nembe. This land where the farm is located is called Imbetuma Island, it’s owned by the Owe family (my family).We’ve five farms. Farm one, two, three, four and five. In the fish ponds, we’ve catfish, governor’s fish, tilapia, etc.
“We intend to make Bayelsa self sufficient in fish production and reduce import of fish from neighbouring states to this great state. Already somebody is on his way coming from Port Harcourt to begin the modalities for operationalization of the hatchery.
“Our next target is to start a hatchery here in Nembe. We also have plans to begin the production of fish feeds here, so that we don’t depend on the ones coming from outside Bayelsa state. The fish feeds are now so expensive, we spend a lot on it”, Chief Oruge added.
