A group of Farmers under the aegis of Apex Rice Value Chain Group has called on the State Government to invest in irrigation farming to boost all-year-round food production in the State.
The Farmers made the call during a courtesy visit to the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Media and Strategy, Chooks Oko in his Office, old Government House, Abakaliki, Tuesday.
This was contained in a release made available to journalists by the Special Assistant to the state governor on Media and Publicity, Chooks Oko, Monday.
The Leader of the Group, Chief Augustine Njoku, said assistance from the Government in the form of farm inputs, machinery and soft loan facilities would enable the farmers to embark on commercial Agriculture, adding that irrigation would further enhance their volume of production for export and local consumption.
"The reason we are not mainly producing in the dry season is because of irrigation.
"Even if in a pilot farm, let us start irrigation, irrigation is very important.
"With irrigation, we can even farm rice three times a year."
Njoku further appealed to the State Government to increase farm space in the State by making more land available for Agricultural purposes.
According to him, there are so many lands lying fallow in the State which needed to be developed and made conducive for Agriculture for food sufficiency.
Chief Njoku solicited the inclusion of genuine rural farmers in the government's empowerment programmes to enable them to scale up the business of food production for the State in particular and the Country in general, stressing that Ebonyi has acquired fame as one of the largest producers of rice in the country.
"If there is any how you will include us in any empowerment; in any Skill development training, we would like it because we have formed a formidable group that is under one umbrella that when you call, all of us can come together."
"Now is not the time to use cutlasses and hoes. If we have these small mechanized implements, we would use them to farm and produce much food for the State.
"If we can have at least one thousand hectares in all the Local Government Areas, it will be good."
Responding, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Chooks Oko thanked the Group for coming and pledged that the State Government was ever ready to partner with them in any way possible to beef up food production in the State.
Oko informed the visitors that the State Government, in its efforts at boosting food production in the State has powered intensive two weeks training of the newly sworn-in Local Government Area Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Local Government Advisory Council members and Ward Councillors on food production in Abuja.
He expressed hope that by the time the trainees return, they would embark on aggressive food production in the State.
"His Excellency incidentally is a lover of Agriculture, not just by word of mouth.
"Currently, all Chairmen, all Vice-Chairmen, all ex-Chairmen, all Local Government Advisory Council members, all Councillors and some members of the Executive Council are in very practical Agricultural training in an integrated farming Institution in Abuja as we speak.
"His Excellency understands that Nigeria is heading to a state where even the oil we have will not be useful across the world; where everybody will need to produce something.
"Agriculture remains one of his priority areas, and he is making sure he does everything possible to ensure it yields a better fruit for Ebonyians.
"Ebonyi is reckoned as one of the top three States in terms of Agriculture.
"His Excellency intends before he leaves office to make sure we are number one and number one by far, not just by word of mouth but by concrete evidence."
