Ikpeazu promises to continue subsidizing agricultural inputs for farmers in Abia
Abia Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, says his administration would continue to subsidize agricultural inputs and encourage technology to support farmers in the State.
Governor Ikpeazu made the promise in Umuahia during the flag-off of the training of the second batch of Extension Workers in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on “Extension Tools, Methodologies and Selected Agricultural Value Chains,” organized by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension in collaboration with the National Agricultural and Research Liaison Services and Sasakawa-Africa Association.
Ikpeazu noted that the goal of the extension workers was to get the new ecological improvement in agro input seedlings in rural areas of the State.
The Governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Sir Charles Agbara, said the government has partnered with some private sectors to revitalize Robber Estate in Amaeke and Ndi Oji Abam, Cashew Plantation in Umunneochi and Cocoa Plantations in the state to complement the efforts of the past leaders, especially Dr Michael Okpara in Agricultural Sector.
He therefore called on the trainees to make use of the knowledge they would acquire to teach rural farmers to enable them to make use of the improved Cassava Stems, Seedlings as well as other techniques that could improve food production and nutrition in the state.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Muhammad Abubakar, represented by a Deputy Director in the Ministry, Dr Mrs. Ngozi Odunze, said the trainees would be empowered with 3 litres of agro chemical and knapsack sprayers, stressing that the training was one of the strategies of his ministry to halt the drift in the agricultural extension system, which he said, has declined due to decrease in funding, policy changes, reduced man-power and lack of interest of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship.
Welcoming the participants, the Program Manager of Abia ADP, Chief Israel Amanze, while thanking the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for their interventions, as well as the State Government for its support to the ADP, appealed for employment and well equipped extension workers.
Amanze noted that the training would expose trainees to the rudiments of extension services and practical aspect of agricultural system.
In their remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Ernest Afolabi, represented by Mr. Victor Ihediwa, and the Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, Mr Frank Satumari Kudla, represented by Mr Charles Ezendu, listed factors causing decline in national agricultural extension system to include unwillingness of the youth to embrace agricultural entrepreneurship, retirement, non-replacement and poor funding of the sub-sector and called on the trainees to pay serious attention to the training programme.
A trainee, Mr Ndudim Ikelua, commended the organizers for their efforts in revitalizing agriculture in Nigeria and promised to take the message to the farmers in the rural areas.
