Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has earmarked N2 billion in 2025 for massive farm estates across the 260 political wards in the state meant to return everybody to the farm.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru, disclosed this in Enugu.
Ubru noted that Governor Peter Mbah would be taking the bold initiative this year to ensure that each political ward in any locality would be able to feed itself and ensure food sufficiency in the state.
According to him, the people around the ward and its locality will be taught best agronomy practices, introduced to high yield seedlings and stems as well as land and space management leading to increase agricultural yield and profitability.
He said, “The One Political Ward, One Farm Estate Initiative will be a game-changer for our people as our agriculture-loving governor is putting everything to ensure that our people gets the initiative’s maximum benefits.
“It would be done in hectares of land; where all types of farming activities would be practiced such as crop farming, animal husbandry, poultry, horticulture/exotic plant farming and fish farming among others.”
The commissioner said that the state government would actively collaborate with the local government councils to ensure that the initiative work out efficiently.
He said that the government would also actively engage people, especially youths, in each locality to take ownership and participate in the initiative that holds lots of benefits for them.
The commissioner said, “The One Political Ward, One Farm Estate Initiative would solve so many issues.
“The issue of food insecurity will be solved. The issue of incessant crises between farmers and herders will be solved because the farm estates will be fenced round.
“This is a vision and initiative by His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to ensure that every issue concerning crisis between herders and farmers is nipped in the bud.
“When there is massive productivity and production in the farming estates; massive employment, especially for the youths, would be created with it. All Gov. Mbah’s promises during his campaign are being kept.”
Ubru noted that the state government would collaborate with the 17 local government chairmen to put in place 24 hours security and monitoring within the farm estates.
