Abia Set For Aggressive Agric Dev

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia said on Monday, in Umuahia that his administration would pursue aggressive agricultural development in 2011.

Orji said this while presenting the state’s 2011 budget tagged, “Budget of Liberation,” to the state House of Assembly.

“The government in the 2011 fiscal year, will embark on aggressive agricultural development through its ongoing tractorisation scheme,” he said.

He said that agricultural development was imperative to reduce the high unemployment rate in the state, achieve the MDGs as well as the Abia vision 20:2020 target.

The governor noted that agriculture is the predominant occupation of the people of the state and expressed regret that it was still practised at subsistence level and with much drudgery.

According to him, to achieve the aim of the administration, government will continue to provide micro-credit to farmers and collaborate with donor agencies.

“We will collaborate with the NDDC, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, National Root Crops Research Institute and other international donor agencies to access agricultural grants,” he said.