By Chukwuka Ugokwe :
Anambra State Government is set to commence the distribution of 60,000 organic fertilizers to over 20,000 farmers across the state
This was the outcome of a One-day stakeholders meeting organised by the Ministry of Agriculture at its Conference Hall.
The meeting brought together group of stakeholders including Heads of Department of Agriculture, Supervisors of Agriculture and Leaders of Congress of councillors drawn from the 21 Local Government Areas.
At the event, the State Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, told the meeting that the federal government in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria had donated 9,000 bags of inorganic fertilizers to the state.
He, however, added that since the state government had adopted Regenerative Agriculture as a policy in tandem with its commitment to ensuring the heathy well being of the citizens,the inorganic fertilizers were sold to rice farmers.
“We agreed that the inorganic fertilizers should be given to rice farmers at a nominal price and the money realised from that nominal sale to those farmers will be channelled toward procurement of organic fertilizers or biological enhancers that will be in sync with the agricultural policy of the state”
The Commissioner said it was reassuring and pleasing that the state government recognised the huge benefits of the policy, urging Councillors to ensure successful implementation of the exercise targeted to provide support to farming households in the state.
He noted that when one knew what to consume and the right agricultural practices, it would help in knowing the nutrition value of what is eaten.
“We are here to discuss how to produce food and make it truly abundant, how to produce food that is indeed food not the one that will appear as food but be poison to our system.”
He, then ,used the opportunity to call for the establishment of a Bio- Technical Laboratory in the state to test and analyse health condition of plants and animals in line with global best practices.
In a remark, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Ifeyinwa Uzoka, underscored the importance of proper documentation and profiling of beneficiaries using approved template for accountability and transparency purposes.
She urged that the items be distributed fairly to youths, men and women farmers in all the wards, adding that details about application of the fertilizers on crops would be transmitted to them by extension workers.
Some of the stakeholders including Mr Uzoma Aligwekwe, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, Hon Chimaobi Okereke and Joseph Okonkwo contributed and expressed their concerns which the Commissioner addressed accordingly.
In a vote of thanks, Hon Nwabueze McHenry Chukwuebuka, Leader Ihiala Local Government Congress of Councillors, lauded government for extending the gesture to the farmers, assuring that the items would be distributed judiciously.
Present at the event were Mr Jude Nwankwo, Programme Manager, Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Mr Chukwuma Abana, SSA to the Governor on Strategy.
*Chukwuka is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State