Abia to establish farmers database, remove fake middlemen to boost food sufficiency

THE Abia State Government has reiterated its commitment towards actualising its vision and mission in the agriculture sector, with the aim of boosting food sufficiency in the state. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Monica Ironkwe who said this during the flagoff of the 2024 farming season in Umuahia, said to achieve the target, the state will be embarking establishment of a database for farmers, provision of farm inputs and removal of fake middlemen in the value chain system.

While insisting that the state government should embrace, promote and develop agriculture in order to take its pride of place among its peers, the Commissioner further listed nine strategies to achieve this.

These include - establishing effective, processing and storage agro- produce facilities, medium feed mills that will produce feed in the state, collaborating with research institutes towards harnessing the advantages of improved seedlings and farm inputs.

According to her: “We will reinstate marketing boards concept, palm wine industry at Ariam- Ursaka, form primary and secondary cooperative society to drive the agricultural value chain, improve infrastructural facilities like road networks, electricity, power, encourage cluster farming and organise seminars and workshops among others.”

She urged all Abians to embrace, promote and develop agriculture. The Commissioner, said: “Agriculture as a profession, career and occupation, hosts or presents a lot of entrepreneurial outfits that all and sundry can engage in order to earn honest income, thereby diverting the youth’s attention from criminal tendencies, which pose security challenges to our socio- economic wellbeing and development.”