23rd September, 2016
Anambra government has introduced a Community Farm Development Programme (CFDP) to provide farmers with inputs, tractor services and link them with buyers.
Mr Afam Mbanefo, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanisation, Processing and Export disclosed this at a forum organised by the State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) in Awka on Friday
He said that the programme was aimed at linking the farmers to off-takers for guaranteed market of their agricultural produce.
Mbanefo urged the farmers to take agricultural activities serious and to also involve their children and other youths in the venture because of the immense benefits.
“Some parents discourage their children from farming because it is stressful, but today, there is money in agriculture,” he said.
The commissioner said that the forum had helped the ministry interact with farmers in the state to explain the essence of the new programme, how to key-in and benefit from it.
According to him, the programme is for both the commercial and small-scale farmers.
He enjoined the farmers to support the programme by dedicating their time in coming together to form and register co-operatives.
“We want them to also develop community farms so as to achieve government’s objective to make the state one of the highest producers of rice, cassava, and maize in the country,” Mbanefo said.
Also speaking, the Director of Agriculture in the ministry, Mr. Nnamdi Agwuncha commended Gov. Willie Obiano for his support to farmers especially in the provision of tractor services.
He called on the farmers to form co-operatives in order to benefit from the various agricultural programmes of the ministry which included Fadama III (Additional Financing) and Value Chain Development Programme.
The Programme Manager of ADP, Mr. Clement Ogubue called on farmers to secure farm lands in various communities to enable them produce more for off-takers to buy.
He said that the off -takers were readily available to buy from the farmers.
Ogubue further advised the farmers to come to the ministry to apply and collect agricultural lime to reduce soil acidity for their crops to yield properly.
Dr Alex Ebogha, deputy chairman , All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Anambra State chapter assured that farmers would work hard to achieve government’s objective for food sufficiency.