South East Development Commission Move To Harness Anambra Agric Potentials
By Chukwuka Ugokwe
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has stated its commitment to collaborate with the state government to attract investors to unlock agricultural potentials of the state.
The Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, SEDC, Dr Cliff Ogbede, made this known during an inspection visit with a Team from the State Ministry of Agriculture to Orumba and Ayamelum Local Government Areas.
He said that they came to explore the agric potentials of the state for its proposed agro mechanization program for the betterment of the state as well as benefits of local farmers.
"We are currently in Anambra conducting mapping, site inspection for our proposed agro mechanization program which we want to do with the state governments in the region.
To achieve this, he said SEDC would attract investors who are interested in the sector and create enabling environment for them to ensure speedy take off of the program.
"We have some investors who really want to come to the region and bring agricultural mechanization program to the region, but we want to make the business bankable for them so that they will see the region as investment ready.
"So, we are here for a first hand inspection of the facilities that the state government has proposed to us. We will take our report back to the technical team of the SEDC. And move forward by engaging the Ministry of Agriculture for us to find a common ground.
"We have conducted this exercise in Enugu and Abia States. We wrote to the governors demanding at least 10,000 hectares in each of the states.We are quite intentional about what we want to do in agriculture," Ogbede said.
While underscoring the need to adopt a collaborative approach to harness the full potentials in the sector, he expressed optimism that investments would usher in a new era of prosperity for the zone.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, commended the SEDC delegation for considering it worthy to undertake the visit and assured of the state government readiness to do all it could to fast track implementation of the program.
According to the Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ifenyinwa Uzoka, the state will be among the first states in the zone to access the mechanization packages.
"We are in need of it, having gone to Orumba and Ayamelum areas and there are many more awaiting development and mechanization. People are hungry for this and I know if it comes, we will accept it with open hands."
A Stakeholder in the sector, Mr Joseph Okonkwo, who guided the SEDC team during the tour of Omor and Ifite Igwari Communities in Ayamelum Local Government Area, described the area as rich with large expanse of land and a leading producer of rice.
One more photo below.
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