Ebonyi State Government has revived up its agricultural
programme by mapping and allocating land to the members of the
Executive Council (EXCO).
The event which took place at Ezillo Government Farm in
Ishielu Local Government Area is the first phase of Governor David
Umahi'a policy to involve every segment of the society in massive rice
production.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resource,
Uchenna Orji, led the team comprising Agric Extension workers and
officials of IFAD to carry out the exercise on Saturday.
Orji, according to a statement on Monday by Emma Anya, the
chief press secretary to the Governor, 140 hectares of land were
allocated to the EXCO members for the cultivation of rice under the
Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Ltd in line with IFAD requirement
for co-operative system and the CBN
The remaining 1,360 hectares were set aside for other
cooperative socities and individuals that have already keyed into the
policy through the IFAD and CBN -anchor borrowers programme.
Orji, who described the agric programme of the Umahi
administration as all inclusive, said tractors would be mobilised to
the site immediately in line with the governor's vision of massive rice
production for commercial quantity.
He added, " We do expect that through the Senior Special
Assistant on rice production, Chief Itakpa Azobu, that latest by Monday,
July 4, we will mobilize our tractors to come here.
"It is in line with governor's vision that we should not only go into mechanization of farming, we should go commercial. We
"It is in line with governor's vision that we should not only go into mechanization of farming, we should go commercial. We
are going to express that this 2016 farming season."
In an interview, the Commissioner for Information and State
Orientation, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, said it was EXCO's decision that
any individual of mature age, whether government appointee or civil
servant, must cultivate at least one or two hectares of land to boost
agriculture in the state.
The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Ebonyi State University,
Prof. Folusho David, commended the agricultural policy and called on
government to continue the sensitization of farmers in the area.
Other EXCO members who spoke, were the SSA to the governor
on Rice Production; the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry,
Mr.Obinna Nwachukwu, SSA on Infrastructure Maintenance, Hon. Ali Odefa;
Commissioner for Education, Prof. John Eke, Commissioner for Justice,
Barr. Augustine Nwankwagu.
They said EXCO was poised to demonstrate to the world that Ebonyi State was a rice producing state.
They said EXCO was poised to demonstrate to the world that Ebonyi State was a rice producing state.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ogbaga, the commissioner for Border Peace
and Conflict Resolution, who spoke on behalf of the female EXCO
members, said tomatoes production would be their major area of concern.