Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, in Enugu State, Mr Patrick Ubru, says Gov. Peter Mbah has deepened the vision to making Enugu State Agricultural Export and Commercial hub in Nigeria and Africa.
Ubru said this on Monday in Enugu while reeling out the achievements of the governor in the area of agriculture and Agro Industrialisation within his two years in Office.
He said the ministry had painstakingly followed the template of Gov. Mbah to use agriculture “as the basic driver in moving the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Enugu State from $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031.”
Ubru said that from the outset before he assumed office as a commissioner; the governor “totally and carefully reviewed policies and strategies” as well as put in place Executive Orders and laws to ensure crops, livestock, fishery production and agro-industrialisation.
According to him, the ministry started wiith an ambitious target of acquiring 300,000 hectares of farmland for agricultural purposes especially for developing large scale commercial farming.
He said that so far, a total of 187,934 hectares across various locations in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state had been acquired; and more land to be acquired from willing communities across the 17 LGAs.
“Continuous update and registration of farmers data on all agricultural value chains across the 17 LGAs in Enugu State. This is to ensure that Enugu State has a robust and verified data of all farmers within the state.
“Over 67,000 farmers’ data have been captured featuring the geo coordinates, farm sizes, specialisations, value-chain etc of these farmers and their farms. With over 80 farmer co-operatives registered so far,” he said.
Ubru said that within two years, Enugu State had become the highest cassava producer in the country as the state had committed itself to its Cassava Ethanol Bio-Refining Project, which would be a bankable gain changer export-wise in the near future.
He said, “Besides other various programmes with development partners, we are excited about the private sector led, Federal, State and Local Government-enabled Private-Public-Partnership on Bio-economy focusing on Cassava-Bioethanol Value-Chain end-to-end development.
“This project starts from seed multiplication to “out-grower/in-grower” production with 100 per cent off-take; LGA processing clusters; Biotechnology Industrial Park; zero waste conversion of cassava peels to animal feed.
“It will also produce zero post-harvest losses through 100 per cent off-take and mobile cassava processing etc and all the way to Cassava Ethanol Bio-Refining.
“Currently, 460 hectares of land have been cultivated with cassava with the construction of the industrial park ongoing at Egede/Affa communities in Udi LGA; and construction and installation of processing equipment at the Bioethanol Industrial Park at Egede.”
The commissioner said that the Special Agro-Industrialisation Processing Zone (SAPZ) project would be established across the three senatorial districts of the State namely; Enugu North, Enugu East and Enugu West.
He said that the SAPZ project’s pilot phase is starting at Owo Community in Nkanu East LGA with 1,101 hectares of land.
“The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Feasibility studies have been conducted to enable funding partners African Development Bank (AFDB) and others conclude arrangement to release of funds for the second phase of the programme.
“The report of the ESIA and Feasibility studies have been received and forwarded to AFDB.
“Given the information from the AfDB and SAPZ National Coordination Secretariat, Enugu State met the minimum requirement and is scheduled to receive funding for Phase II of the SAPZ programme after the AfDB Board haved approval in the middle of 2025.”
He said that state had envisioned establishment of the 260 farm estates across 260 political wards in the state and increase in agricultural productivity by 2000 per cent, as it had planned creation of 52,000 direct jobs and excess of 100,000 indirect jobs.
“A pilot phase of this project has commenced at Akpofu community with clearing ongoing within communities in Udi, Enugu East and Igboeze North and Igbo-Etiti Local Government Areas among other council area,” he said.
Ubru noted that the government had pledged to support commercial agriculture by procurement of 1,000 tractors and implements for mechanisation, adding that “100 tractors have been received, another 100 on the way, while remaining 800 will be assembled in Enugu.”
On cash crop, he said that the state was investing heavily on cocoa farming, cashew farming and cotton production as well as vegetable and species production in commercial quantities for purpose of local consumption and export.
“We have established fish and vegetable farm clusters at Owo after site survey have been done. Architectural design-cum-bill of quantity in progress; and did success pilot of greenhouse technology farming and encouraged LGs, institutions and individuals to participate fully in greenhouse farming.
“On December 8, 2023, following His Excellency’s approval ‘‘Enugu Rice’’ Brand was launched with three LGAs supporting in off-taking paddy rice from farmers that resulted to 150 tons of milled rice supplied to the Ministry by local processors.
“These local processing infrastructure and equipment are product of interventions by the state and the donor agencies such as IFAD-VCDP, APPEALS, FADAMA-CARE and ATASP-1 among others.
“Through this donor agencies in collaboration with the state government, the state have also provided irrigation infrastructure and equipment; agro-inputs and improved seedlings as well as agronomy, climate smart farming and other agricultural training to farmers,” he said.
The commissioner said that the state had established seed gallery and bank; its produce cities are underway and recently partnered with the state’s Ministry of Education to add Smart School Farms to all new 260 Smart Schools in its catch-them-young programme.
“All these and more are meant to increase productivity, increase food availability, job creation, increase produce production as well as positioning the state as agriculture off-taking point, where there is value-addition, proper packaging and export hub,” he noted.
