By Chukwuka Ugokwe
The Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Ben Chuks Odoemena, has urged farmers and stakeholders to embrace farming as a business venture rather than merely a means of feeding their families.
Speaking during the flag-off of the 2026 farming season in Orumba North on June 23, Dr Odoemena said many challenges faced by farmers stem from the continued practice of subsistence agriculture.
According to him, farmers should produce based on market demand, stressing that agriculture must be market-oriented to ensure profitability and sustainability.
Dr. Odoemena noted that Governor Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s Solution Agenda aims to transform Anambra into a hub for agribusiness through a modern, private sector-driven agricultural economy.
He outlined the Ministry’s three pronged strategy to achieve this vision: Private Sector-Led Agricultural Development through the Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) model; Irrigation-Led Production to enable year-round farming; and the development of Competitive Agricultural Value Chains driven by market demand.
The commissioner called on the Orumba North Mayor, community leaders, farmer cooperatives and other stakeholders to partner with the Ministry in advancing agricultural development in the state.
In his remarks, the Mayor of Orumba North, Rtd. Capt. Casmir Nwafor, described the council as predominantly agrarian and highlighted ongoing support for farmers through the distribution of improved farm inputs and training programmes.
Nwafor disclosed plans to establish a Model Farm Institute along the Ufuma-Awa-Ndiukwuenu axis and a Model Vegetable Farm in Oko.
The event featured the distribution of high yielding farm inputs to farmers across the local government area.
Chukwuka Ugokwe is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
