Dr Forster Ihejiofor, Commissioner For Agriculture In Anambra State, has said,
Following high cost of food items across the nation, he predicted better days ahead if farmers and teeming population will harken to call for massive cultivation of land.
Dr Ihejiofor, who was speaking with newsmen on food scarcity in his office, noted that the current situation could be controlled with joint effort by stakeholders, even as state government had profiled over 27,000 farmers for dry season farming.
He explained, that state government in collaboration with federal government in fulfilment of its commitment to boost food production, had distributed some inputs to encourage dry season farming.
“We are blessed with arable lands in the state, when we cultivate the land, we have hope of harvest and of course, harvest translates to food when processed.
“Farmers and teeming population should go right away and begin to prepare their land. Land preparation should be top gear at the moment, especially considering what the state government plans to do, to distribute economic tree seedlings across the state.
“The People should start now, within their kindred, villages and towns to form mini Co-operatives that will receive these seedlings and plant them in plantations.”
According to him, various intervention programmes of the ministry including Value Chain Development Programme, Agricultural Development Programme, Agricultural Transformation Support Programme, have been interfacing with farmers, giving them access to subsidized inputs.
He also explained, that the agric value chain has widened the frontiers as the state was on course to become the hub of rice production in the South East when the ATASP 1 Irrigation Pumping Station at Ifite Ogwari becomes operational.
Dr Ihejiofor pointed out that the state is now a reference point in oil palm/cocoa nut plantation in the nation, adding that the expected yield from the plantation will boost the state’s capacity to ensure food sufficiency.
He lauded the state government’s support services to Extension Officers so as to enable them to deliver services to the farmers especially as it concerned the best agronomic practices to boost food production in the state.
Contributing, the State Programme Manager, Agricultural Development Programme, Mr Jude Nwankwo, urged Ndi Anambra to support Gov. Soludo’s roadmap toward achieving food sufficiency and economic prosperity for the state.
The Programme Manager enumerated other intervention measures to include, opening up of more farmlands in the state, distribution of certified seedlings and other inputs to farmers, encouraging plantation of soursop, ukwa, and akiinu as well as enlightenment to discourage consumption of unwholesome food items.
