…Well-to-do Nigerians should render assistance to flood victims – Ihejiofor
Commissioner for Agriculture Anambra state Dr Foster Ihejiofor says government has promised to assist farmers affected by the flood to sustain the food supply in the state.
Ihejiofor, while speaking with reporters in Awka to commemorate this year’s 2022 World Food Day, said the government will assist the affected farmers by providing all the necessary farm tools and crop seedlings to enable them to return back to their farms with ease at the end of the flooding.
He stressed that this year’s commemoration was coming at the time when the flood disaster have devastated many farmlands in various parts of Anambra State, especially, the Agrirerian areas. And also at the time that the country’s Agriculture sector was experiencing a downturn as a result of the menace.
According to the commissioner, Governor, Chukwuma Soludo’s Agro-Economic Transformation Agenda is aimed at building a secure economic future for the citizens by re-enacting Dr M. I Okpala’s Oil Palm Revolution, Creation of the Anambra Coconut Economy and Valorization of our redundant vegetative ecosystem.
In his words; “We just completed the first phase of the oil palm Revolution and Coconut economy by distributing 220,000 oil palm seedlings and 150,000 Coconut seedlings to Ndi-Anambra for Agricultural development.
This is just the first phase of the project, as the state government intends to plant 1 million oil palm and Coconut seedlings annually.
“Indeed, the state ministry of Agriculture is assiduously working to actualise Soludo’s vision of a liveable, prosperous and smart mega city with food security, food as medicine, food safety and abundant local content for industrial raw materials and local content for commercial activities.
“Most of our farmers have made a swift transition from season farming to all-year-round farming with increasing use of irrigation and the adoption of global best practices in agriculture. Our partnerships with major agro investors, have been hugely successful, drawing the attention of the entire agricultural establishment in Nigeria to Anambra State, he added.
“Anambra state government has set the stage for integrating composting centres to host the production unit for black soldier fly, mosh room and effective microorganisms.
The Commissioner, use the day to also appeal to well-to-do Nigerians to continue to render assistance to the flood victims, particularly, the farmers to enable them to return back to their farms shortly after the flooding.
