The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun enumeration for the distribution of seedlings to farmers affected by the 2018 flood in Bayelsa.

Mr Eric Ebhodaghe, Agency’s Team Leader in the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Wednesday that the Federal Government targeted over 3,000 farmers across the eight local government areas in the state.

Ebhodaghe, also Supervisor of the National Food Security Council (NFSC) for the Agency in South-South, said the intervention, in three phases, included verification/enumeration, distribution and cultivation.

“Mr President, Mohammadu Buhari, has ordered for intervention for farmers that were affected by the 2018 flood disaster across 14 states in the country, including Bayelsa.

“The intervention is also part of the Federal Government’s efforts to cushion the effect of food insecurity in the country.

“This exercise is coming in form of agro-inputs to the farmers. The inputs are mainly seedlings, agrochemical and fertilizers that are quite peculiar to this region. Some of the seedlings are maize, plantain and rice.

“It will cut across the identified local government areas in the state. Presently, we have gone about five out of the eight local government of Bayelsa. The targeted farmers are being enlisted from these areas.

“The intervention is a Federal Government programme but we are working with the state government and other stakeholders and experts from the federal and state ministry of agriculture.

“It is basically for crop farmers. We believe that this planting season is the right period for the distribution,” Supervisor explained.