Dr Alex Ekwueme square Awka was filled to capacity as farmers from the twenty-one local government areas of the state, development partners, service providers, agro dealers and government functionaries among others gathered for the official inauguration of the 2021 farming season.
The event, inaugurated by Governor Willie Obiano, had in display different types of Agric produce by the council areas based on their comparative advantage, inputs by intervention groups, fertilizers and agro chemicals by agro dealers.
Ebele Ezeh reports that this year’s inauguration of the farming season also served as an avenue for some agric intervention programmes, farmers groups and association to flag off their inputs disbursement. t
Speaking at the event,,the state Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD VCDP, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha, who regretted that COVID-19, insecurity and activities of herdsmen posed a big threat to food security, called for all hands to be on deck to conquer the challenges.
Mr. Agwuncha while applauding Governor Willie Obiano on his bold step of encouraging and supporting Anambra State farmers, advised farmers to plant early to avoid flooding.
He also advised them to insure their farms against disasters and embrace dry season farming.
Speaking on measures to mitigate post-harvest losses, Mr. Agwuncha listed increased construction of processing centers, establishment of solar dryers, aggregation centers for storage and processing mills among others as some of the measures already put in place to avoid post-harvest losses.
Contributing, the state Business and Market Development officer, FGN/IFAD VCDP Mr. James Mozie noted that they have already established strong linkage between off takers and producers accompanied with aggressive sensitization of farmers, which according to him has given birth to chain financing and buy back.
Mr. Mozie made it clear that off takers now go to primary producers for their agricultural produce even as he gave credence to the state government for the continued and timely payment of their cash counterpart contributions.
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