As part of its mandate, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commissioned Achara-Ubo Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate in Imo State.
This is just as Prince Paul Ikonne, Executive Secretary of NALDA, said that the federal government has also approves the rehabilitation of Songhai Farm and the establishment of 3 new cassava processing plant in Imo State.
He also said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the empowerment of 1000 Imo women in cassava production, 5000 men to benefit from NALDA’s, Central Bank project and N3 million CBN resolving loan to the productive beneficiaries to sustain their farms.
Located in Owerri North local government area, the Achara-Ubo farm estate sits on 35 hectares of arable land with 6 poultry houses with 18 pens that contain about 10,000 birds, 3 goat houses with 196 goats and 3 piggeries containing 108 pigs.
It also boasts of 3 solar powered boreholes, access roads and drainage and solar powered street lights on the farm.
Addressing journalists during the commissioning the estate, Prince Ikonne said the project was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration vision to create jobs for the youth and women to ensure food security.
He noted that the farm will give 600 direct engagement to farmers in poultry, piggery and goatry while 200 additional farmers will be engaged in the processing, packaging and export.
“Achara-Ubo farm is expected to take in 600 farmers, the processing and packaging section will soon start, which will take in additional 200 people and the crop section will soon start because we have provided the tractors.
“This farm will be a centre that will train farmers within and outside the Imo State and the 200 beneficiaries have been trained and empower with the knowledge and they are the first set of people to benefit from this project and as they pass out in the next 6 months, they will sort their own farming activities and another set of people will come in,” Prince Ikonne said.
The activation of this farm is one of the ways to demonstrate the passion of President President muhammadu buhari in terms of agriculture,” he said.
He added, “This farm was abandoned for 30 solid years and NALDA took over and development it, the farm is purely the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to reactivate and reform the farm estate across the country because the president believes that going back to the land is the only way our economy can be sustained and our youth will be gainfully employed to achieve food security and we are very hopeful that the farm will be very productive and that the farmers will begin to earn income.
“The direct engagement is about 600 farmers into the poultry, piggery and geometry and an additional 200 farmers into the processing, packaging and export because we have processing plant here that is coming up.”
He maintained that the the first year of the entire project, approximately 1,000 farmers will be engaged in the area of animal husbandry, processed and packaged.
On capacity building, the executive secretary said, “The good thing is that this place will turn as a training ground for the youths in Imo State as they pass through one year here and they will be established and we are partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria to give them support, a grant that they will use to establish their own farms, so for the first one year they will be here, they will get the technical knowledge, they will know how to rear their own animals and then the central bank grant comes in to support their projects.
The grant is across the country and we are looking at 3 million naira per farmer and it is a revolving loan as they are productive, So with that, you will see that the number of the unemployment will reduce in the state and across the country.”
To ensure its sustainability, Prince Ikonne noted that the project will be handed over to the community to take its ownership for proper management.
He said, “so I charged the beneficiaries to take the project seriously as you passed out, you will get this soft support facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria that will help you start your own project, the enabling environment given to NALDA to reactivate this farm is encouraging, so farmers, women and youth it is time for us go to back to farm because that is the only way we stay safe shortly, create jobs and provide food security.”
Some of the beneficiaries of the project who spoke to journalists at the farm, applauded federal government for resuscitating the moribund farm estate.
One of the beneficiaries, Agba Kingsley, head of goatry department who left block industry to join the farm said he found farming more lucrative.
He said, “Government is doing good by establishing the farm and the business is profitable, so if Nigerian youth have interest in farming, the outcome will be profitable for them, they should join us.”
Another beneficiary at the poultry section, Nnadi Chioma Sylvia said the business has help her employed additional 10 people.
Sylvia said, “The farm has helped my family and being part of this is a great opportunity and when people see me now, it’s obvious they will know that I am benefiting and I have engaged 10 people.”
Similarly, NALDA’s project coordinator, Imo State, Emeka Ugwunali expressed hope that the project will help the host community and beneficiaries to improve their well-being.
The Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma said the project will be sustained through local security and several trainings that will put lager number of beneficiaries on the track of sustainable animal husbandry.
He said, The partnership with NALDA is to enable federal government to bring more equipments to enable off takers to take our products to the appropriate market and thereby making us earn more income and increase our internally generated revenue.
The governor said, the state government on collaboration with federal government will invest N18 billion for the rival of the similar moribund Songhai Farm.
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