Six graduate Extension Agents have been employed under the FG/IFAD/VCDP, following the inclusion of Ogbaru, Ihiala and Orumba South council areas in the list of benefitting communities of the programme.


Based on this, a one-day orientation course was organised for them, together with two enumerators and liaison officers at the Conference hall of the state Agricultural Development Programme office in Awka.


The orientation, organised by the state coordination office of IFAD VCDP and Divine Harvest Global Konsult ltd also featured presentation of Awards to some Extension Agents that distinguished themselves.


Declaring the orientation open, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export, Mr. Nnamdi Onukwuba reminded them of their duty of making sure that Anambra farmers adopt the latest technology in Agriculture to boost their livelihood.


Mr. Onukwuba, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Stephanie Keri-Uzor asked them to always garner knowledge, upgrade themselves in order to impact the right knowledge to farmers.


The state Agricultural Development Programme Manager, Mr. Jude Nwankwor charged them to put in their best to consolidate the huge resources Governor Willie Obiano is investing in agriculture.


The state Programme Coordinator, FG/IFAD VCDP, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha urged the new Extension Agents to step into the shoes of the old Extension Agents and develop on the tempo of activities to ensure sustainability.


Mr. Agwuncha represented by the state IFAD VCDP Procurement officer, Mrs Chika Agwaramgbo said for the project to surpass its record in 2018, it needs dedicated and hardworking Extension Agents who will bequeath to farmers best agronomic practices in rice and cassava farming.


For the Managing Director, Divine Harvest global Konsult ltd, Elder Ernest Nwogu they are building sustainable measures into the system.
The state Agro Technician and convener of the event, Mr. Ifeanyi Okoye while describing the course as a great success, said it is expected that they implement all that they garnered in their dealings with farmers for increased performance.


Some of the new Extension Agents, including Mr. Somtoo Akolisa from Okpuno Nnewi-Ichi, Nnewi and Mrs. Euphemia Okeke from Umuchukwu in Orumba South local government area, who thanked God for blessing them with a job, described the orientation course as an eye opener saying that it provided solutions to both simple and complex problems that are likely to surface between them and farmers which according to them if not well handled will mar them and the project.

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