Abia mulls establishment of CSS-Type farms, kicks off statewide aerial mapping
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Government says it will establish a CSS-type large-scale integrated farming structure in the state to strengthen food security and attract the youth to go into agriculture and agribusiness.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting held on Monday.
At Tuesday’s briefing Kanu explained that the state government was establishing the the CSS – type of farm to boost food production in the state and also provide training ground in agriculture for the youths.
“You recall that sometime last year, about 302 young Abians selected from the 184 Wards of the state were sent to CSS farms in Nasarawa State for training and after their training, they were empowered.
“Now we are bringing the farm to the state and when that is in place here, it will not only boost the food production capacity of the state but offer a training ground for our teaming youths to go into agriculture and agribusiness,” Kanu said.
The Commissioner also said that the first phase supervision of the 302 CSS farm trainees showed that they (trainees) recorded a success rate of about 80 percent, an indication that the beneficiaries used the soft loans given to them judiciously. He said that the trainees who have proved their capability and trained, at least, three new farmers, and were in a position to pay back the interest-free funds extended to them would further be adequately encouraged.
He added that the incubatees (trainees) were promised adequate empowerment after their training to enable them to go into different areas of agriculture they were trained in.
Prince Kanu hinted that about 26 of the CSS-Farm Nassarawa beneficiaries who did not make themselves available for access or supervision of their projects would be sanctioned for failing to give adequate account of the funds extended to them.
He also announced that the state government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, would support farmers with improved inputs soon, adding only farmers captured in the database of the Ministry of Agriculture generated during their farmers enumeration exercise in the state would benefit from the input distribution.
He said the measure was to ensure that only genuine farmers would access the inputs.
In another move to enhance development of the state, the Ministry of Lands and Housing has embarked on aerial imagery of Abia’s 4,795.74 square kilometres space, including a radar and 2D line mapping of Aba and Umuahia, measuring about 2,220 square kilometers.
The exercise, according to Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, would strengthen efficient service delivery by the Ministry.
“The aerial mapping of our land space will make it easier to know the extent of lands in Abia and areas where government could carry out projects,” Chukwumerije explained.
“All these efforts are made to strengthen the efficient delivery of services of the Ministry. With the mapping, we are able to plan better; it give us a base map with picture of how things are. It helps with the master plan of the state which is already going on in phases, starting from Aba. It also helps us with our land administration system, it also helps with the identification of our various assets in terms of our grid assets, security assets, etc. So, it is a very big one for our state, in terms of this government’s focus on development,” the Commissioner added.
