ABIA STATE GOVT TO EXPAND AND MECHANIZE AGRICULTURE

ABIA STATE GOVT TO EXPAND AND MECHANIZE AGRICULTURE

David Maduako –Umuahia

As the world celebrated the World Food Day on 15th day of October 2025, with the theme ” Hand in Hand For Better Foods And Better Future” , Abia state government say she would expand and develop the Agricultural sector due to the importance government’ attach to that sector.

Governor Alex Otti made made this declaration during the celebration of this year’s World Food Day which took place on the 25th of October 2025 at International Conference Centre Ogurube Layout Umuahia , the governor represented by the Secretary to the state government Prof Keneth Kalu said the agricultural sector would be expanded through mechanization to provide a sustainable agricultural practice that would enhance food production and a better future for the populace. He said government would support farmers by investing in agriculture to provide Farmers with improved seedlings , machines for mechanization and create access roads to the market stating that the vision of his government is to see an agricultural sector that would plant harvest process and export agricultural products.

The governor commended the Commissioner for agriculture Dr.Cliff Agbaeze for steering initiatives that are repositioning the agro sector in the state . He called on all Including stakeholders to see themselves as central in the on going revolution in the agricultural sector.

Speaking during the event, the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture Dr Cliff Agbaeze said the World Food Day was set aside by the United Nation to address the issue of hunger and food insecurity through which has become an issue of emergency to many nations .

He noted that with Nigeria’s population growing at annual rate of 1.2 percent achieving food security is problem . That is why in Abia state government’s vision is to expand agriculture and lift the sector from subsistence level to Commercial base to show that agric is a sustainable occupation .

Government he said is going to support farmers by providing them with high yielding seedlings and machines so farmers can be engaged in large scale production , agro processing and exportation.

Dr. Agbaeze said in effort to achieve the above objectives , his Ministry have set up a data base to identify real farmers in the state noting that agriculture have been digitalized in the state for effective monitoring of activities of farmers .

Some of the farmers who exhibited their products at the event bared their minds on some challenges facing agriculture in the state . The managing Director of Osikapa Abia Pastor Okechukwu Dike a producer of Rice said the major challenge facing rice production in the state is finance . According to him farming require a lot of finance so government should support Farmer by providing them with money through loans and grants and provision of machinery for faster and easy Farming.

Hon. Evaristus Maduako a Cocoa Farmer from Umunneochi LGA said Cocoa production is a very profitable venture but cocoa Farmers he said need improved seedlings and chemicals for pests control .

An Executive member of All Farmers Association of Nigeria Umunneochi chapter Prince Chukwuemeka Uche who is a dealer in palm oil said a major challenge here is government’ identifying real farmers for interventions saying that fake Farmers have continued to pose serious problem to real farmers majorly found at the rural areas.
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