Agric ministry targets database for farmers in Rivers

Following the approval of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to establish a task force on food safety in the state, the Ministry of Agriculture has kick-started a verification exercise on different segments of the sector to create a database.

According to the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii, the ministry had begun a 14-day validation and registration exercise for all poultry farmers, fish farmers, slaughterhouses, and frozen foods companies in the state.

Kii said the exercise aimed to create a comprehensive database of all poultry farmers, fish farmers, slaughterhouses and frozen foods companies operating within the state.

He noted that it would enable the ministry to establish effective monitoring and inspection procedures, ensuring compliance with food safety regulations, emphasising that collecting accurate data would help the ministry to better identify areas that require improvement and take necessary actions to safeguard public health as well as assisting the farmers when necessary, among other benefits.