Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has empowered farmers across the three Senatorial districts of the state with 12,000 bags of fertilizers and improved seedlings to boost production.
Eno announced the package while flagging off the 2024 second planting season at Uruan Local Government Area on Thursday
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to take agriculture to a level where young people will see farming as a business, adding that with the flourishing agricultural vegetation, it was inexcusable for anyone not to plant at least what he or she consumes.
He commended the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, and the entire ministry for the passion they have exhibited in carrying out the agricultural revolution vision of government through the provision of farm input, seedlings, fertilizer, and other tools that will ensure a bountiful harvest in the next season.
The governor also applauded the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for partnering with the state to ensure that fertilizer, seedlings, and other farm inputs are available.
He disclosed that machines for mechanized farming will be available for farmers, adding, that the State will continue to support genuine farmers, and never again will resources be diverted or given to portfolio farmers.
He said, “Today, we have for distribution, twelve thousand (12,000) bags of fertilizer that will go to all the local Governments, we have ten thousand (10,000) cassava cuttings, 20,000 improved oil palm seedlings that we got from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), five thousand (5,000) trays of pepper seedlings, and others.
“I love the fact that we have brought in our students into Agriculture. When we were in school, we used to have school farms where we harvested most of what we cooked to eat. We believe it is time to go back to such practices, and also begin to let our children fall in love with Agriculture from an early age.
“It doesn’t matter what status you are, whether you are an engineer, doctor, or entrepreneur so long as you can eat, there is a need to have at least a garden in your house. Above all, we have declared the first and third Fridays of every month as farm days; to free the civil servants to go to the farm. We can make this a hobby. We can all own farms,” Eno said.
The governor appreciated different stakeholders in the Agricultural sector for defying all challenges to be part of the flag-off and directed the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offor, to ensure that necessary support is given to genuine farmers in the state
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, commended the governor for his strides in enhancing food sufficiency for the teeming population of Akwa Ibom State and assured everyone of the ministry’s readiness to drive the vision to success.
