WRITTEN BY KENECHUKWU OFOMAH
Governor Willie Obiano has launched the 2016 dry season farming in the State.
The initiative was launched during the 2016 State Agric Show held at the ABS Headquarters, Awka field.
The 2016 dry season farming will be driven by three hundred and sixty four farmers profiled by the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export and will see the massive planting of rice and veggies across Council areas of the state with comparative advantage in the food belts.
The Agric Show with the theme “Self sufficiency in food production : a paradigm shift for change during which the year’s world food day was also commemorated, saw farmers from the twenty one Council areas of the state exhibit various Agricultural items which they produce.
The governor had on arrival at the venue, moved round the various stands to inspect the Agric produce exhibited.
Launching the initiative, Governor Obiano announced that the sample produce for the initiative have been procured by the State government and will be distributed to the farmers at fifteen percent subsidized rate.
Governor Obiano who revealed that it is his administration’s plan to triple food production in the state by supporting the farmers to adopt best practices in agriculture in response to the varying weather challenges, said the Community Farm Development Programme of his government is aimed at encouraging youths participation in Agriculture.
He commended the Federal Government for articulating a workable vision for agricultural transformation in the country and said under his watch, the State will remain a major food basket in the country where farmers will find pride in what they do.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe represented by the State Director of the Ministry, Chief Albert Odukwe acknowledged that Governor Obiano has shown through his efforts that Agriculture is no longer a small household peasant venture, adding that as a result, the state now is exporting Agricultural produce.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Afam Mbanefo said the Ministry is using the Agric Show to showcase the successes recorded in the state’s Agric sector through the unflinching support of the governor to the farmers and noted that through his Ministry’s strategic collaboration with other line Ministries, a lot of positive landmarks have been achieved in the state.
For his part, a representative of Offtaker Groups in the State, observed that the Obiano administration has distinguished itself by its support to farmers to boost their operations.
The governor during the event distributed twenty one motorbikes to Agro-facilitators and Agric Extension Workers as well as twenty nine power pumping machines that can reticulate twelve kilometers of farmland to farmers from river-rine areas.
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