By Chinyere Anyanwu
To transform farming into a profitable venture, boost food security, ehance poverty eradication and rural prosperity, the Enugu State government has flagged off a fertiliser and input distribution programme for over 60,000 farmers in the state.
Speaking during the event attended by thousands of farmers and stakeholders at Okpara Square, at the weekend, the state Governor, Peter Mbah, described the move as another bold step towards scaling agriculture in the state.
Mbah recalled that his administration distributed 12,000 bags of fertilisers alongside power tillers, seedlings, cassava stems, and herbicides at no cost to farmers in 2024, adding that the intervention had led to bumper harvests and reduced food prices across the state.
He said, “therefore, it gives me great joy to be here today to flag off the distribution of over 40,000 bags of free fertilisers and other agro inputs. Our farmers are the backbone of our communities, the hands that till the soil and bring food to our tables. Without you, there is no sustenance, no prosperity and no growth,” he said.
Mbah announced that 200-hectare farm estates were being established in each of the state’s 260 political wards, equipped with irrigation systems, warehouses, tractor sheds, and power supply. He disclosed that 102 tractors had already been delivered, another 98 on the way, while 800 more would soon be assembled at the tractor plant nearing completion in the state capital.
“Farming is big business. That is why we are upgrading the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, into a University of Agriculture to train the next generation of agricultural scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators,” Mbah added.
He also reaffirmed ongoing efforts to establish Agro-Industrial Processing Zones and Agricultural Transformation Centres across the three senatorial zones.
The governor stressed that the free inputs would go directly to registered farmers in the state’s database without middlemen. “There is no red tape. The only precondition is to be a registered farmer. Currently, we have over 60,000 farmers in our database,” he said.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Uburu, in his remarks, lauded the governor for inspiring what he described as an agricultural revolution in the state.
Uburu noted that the long-abandoned assets, such as Enugu United Palm Products, Adarice Irrigation Scheme, Ojor and Mgbagbu Owa irrigation projects, and Sunrise Flour Mill, had been revitalised under the Mbah administration.
Uburu highlighted new initiatives under the governor, including the Enugu State Livestock Productivity Centre, “a Cocoa Development Initiative targeting 3,000 hectares by 2027, greenhouse farming with 2,000 greenhouses by 2026, and export warehouses for cashew processing.”
The commissioner further commended the governor’s approval of crop insurance premiums to protect farmers against climate shocks and pests. “Today’s event signifies a new chapter, an affirmation that the governor is fully committed to transforming our rural communities into vibrant centres of economic growth and prosperity. The sense of pride I derive as commissioner is immeasurable. It is all thanks to Dr. Peter Mbah – a man for whom there are no impossibilities,” Uburu said.
The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Mr. Romanus Eze, also lauded the governor for fulfilling his promises to farmers. He added that the state once had fewer than five functional tractors, but now has over 200, with a tractor assembly plant already set up in the state.
“The governor has not only given us inputs but he has brought mechanisation to our doorsteps. He promised 1,000 tractors, and today we are seeing them. The farm estates that are coming up in every ward, the new seed laboratory, and the support from traditional rulers for land access are transforming agriculture into a real business,” Eze said.
Similarly, the Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Dr. Ibenaku Onoh, described Mbah as a governor who does the big things as well as the small things, stressing that the distribution of inputs in every ward reflected inclusive governance.
“What you are doing is to move Enugu from a state of consumption to a state of production. In agriculture, transport, water, and other sectors, you are doing wonders. The people are happy, and we promise to continue protecting your mandate,” he said.
The ceremony ended with the distribution of fertilisers to farmer cooperatives from the 17 local government areas, which stakeholders described as “a giant leap towards food security and sustainable rural development.”
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