Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Anambra State Government has flagged off this year’s farming season with assurance of supporting farmers in the state for food sufficiency.
The 2023 farming season flag-off took place at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, with the theme, “Biological Farming: Nature’s Sustainability Solution.”
Performing the flag-off, Governor Chukwuma Soludo reassured the commitment of his administration towards assisting farmers in the state for food sufficiency.
He said that agriculture remains one of the strong pillars of his government because of the enormous benefits including food security, job creation, boosting of the economy, and as well lifting people out of poverty.
Soludo who was represented by his Deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, noted that the distribution of One million coconut and palm seedlings per year initiative of his administration is aimed at making palm oil and coconut the new crude oil in the state.
He expressed hope that through the initiative, crime and criminality will be eliminated in the state as the youths and unemployed citizens will be gainfully engaged in agriculture and other sectors of the state economy.
In an address, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Forster Ihejiofor, explained that biological farming is not just environmentally friendly, but also economically beneficial to farmers as it reduces the cost of inputs while improving soil health, plants-health, nutrients, crop yields, animal and human health, hence the need for farmers to key into the system.
The event attracted farmers from 21 local government areas of the state, who displayed various crops and seedings for sales during the event.
