3 months ago
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The Cross River government has adopted mechanized farming as the solution to drive the state out of its current deprivation quandary.
The government said it is distressing report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that over 13 million people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Rivers states are living with multi-dimensional poverty,
Against the backdrop of this frightening 2022 multidimensional poverty index report by the NBS that rates Akwa Ibom with 5.08 million people; Rivers with 4.4 million and Cross River with 3.44 million, the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration has rolled out a far-reaching agricultural development policy approach to mitigate the 75.4 percent population currently affected negatively.
Unveiling the government’s ambitious plans at a media briefing in Calabar, the State capital, Wednesday, Cross River Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo said in line with the administration’s People First agenda and agricultural revolution policy, approval has been given for the construction of 16 farm access roads across the state.
Ebokpo disclosed that the State Executive Council (SEC) has given approval for the construction of 10 mini-cassava processing mills; 10 mini-rice mills; and the provisions of solar-powered boreholes across 10 existing small-holder rice milling locations in the State.
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He explained that concerted efforts are being made to ensure the arable land across the state is meaningfully cultivated through mechanized farming methods to not only provide enough food for the people but also package them for export.
According to him, a smallholder agricultural development scheme with emphasis on cocoa, oil palm, cassava, and rice production would attract priority attention with an estimated 1080 direct job opportunities, as well as 2160 indirect job openings modeled to transit the state into a commercial agricultural hub.
The Commissioner also disclosed that the state government has commenced the first phase of about 12,000,00 land clearing for the commercial production of grains such as maize, cassava, rice, sorghum, cowpea, and wheat, including establishing N30 billion Naira Commercial Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme known as ‘PROJECT GROW’, meant to serve as collateral to unlock lending facilities from financial institutions.
Ebokpo also noted that proactive steps have already been taken to secure the state’s stake in seed development and genetic improvement that suits its unique ecology through the execution of an agreement with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) and the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) with particular reference to the setting up their extension research units in the state.
The commissioner said the N30 billion fund would enable farmers to access loans as part of efforts to ensure food sufficiency and generally boost agricultural activities in the state.
He said the fund to be warehoused by a consortium of banks would be provided and guaranteed by the state government.
He assured that the government is focused on assisting farmers to move from subsistence to commercial farming while at the same time boosting the agricultural value chain in the state.
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