Obiano Launches the 2019 Farming Season In Anambra

KINGSLEY EZEKWELU

The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has launched the 2019 farming season in Anambra State.

The theme of this year’s farming season, which was launched today at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, is “Farm Cluster Development: A vehicle for Sustainable Agriculture”.

Also at the event, Governor Obiano flagged off the 2019 Agro Inputs Disbursement to farmers and Cooperatives, the Youths in Agriculture Program, the Cluster Farmland Reservation Scheme among other initiatives aimed at supporting farmers improve on their productivity.

Performing the function, Governor Obiano said his government is committed to making Agriculture, a major foreign exchange earner for the state through his Agric Revolution programmes.

He noted that despite the numerous challenges of the last planting season which included flooding and farmers /herdsmen clashes, the State was able to register major progress indices.

According to him, the farm cluster initiative will ensure that the farmers leverage on Agro-financing programs and other benefits government have made available to them.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, represented by Mr. Ogochukwu Nkamnebe, commended Anambra State Government for remaining consistent in the annual launch of the initiative and revealed that the programme is designed to keep the farmers abreast of government’s policy direction in the area of Agriculture so as to ensure that they benefit maximally.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Nnamdi Onukwuba, said the theme of the event is apt in line with the genuine commitment of Governor Obiano to boost agriculture through farm clusters and cooperatives.

In a message at the occasion, the State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Mr. Joseph Madubuko, urged government to put in place, infrastructure that will stimulate dry season farming in the State so as ensure that the State achieves its targeted food crop yield for self sufficiency and export.

In a vote of thanks, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, said with the numerous inputs, the State is bound to witness bountiful harvest this year.