Farmers Hail $140m Farm Project In Etche

Farmers have expressed excitement over the recently announced $140 million farm initiative of the Rivers State Government in partnership with LG Group, an Isreali agro-allied company.

The President, Etche Farmers Co-operative Union, Mr. Godwin Akandu said siting of the project in Etche popularly known as the food basket of the state was remarkable and would be one of the most enduring agricultural initiatives by any administration in the state.

Mr. Akandu said Etche farmers were already on ground to embrace the project and stressed the need for the land owners and farmers groups to be integrated in the project by giving them positions in the board of the company.

According to the president Etche farmers, “by integrating farmers and land owners, there would be sense of belonging which would foster unity and stability among  the foreign posters, state government and the local people.”

He further stated that the planned 2000 hectars million dollar agricultural scheme targeted to provide job opportunity for some 5000 people and 300 farm settlement, calls for establishment of an Agricultural Research Institute in view of the moribund ADP office in Okehi.

Mr. Akandu who decried the poor state of ADP office which he said had been overtaken by wild weeds, as a great contraction to the priority attention being given to agricultural development at world, national and local levels and pleaded with Governor Rotimi Amaechi to revitalise the office.

He also called on farmers in Etche to make good use of the over 10,000 bags of fertilizer provided them by his co-operative union, remarking that the idea that Etche land is fertile does not mean that fertilizer would not improve on their yields.

The farmers’ union boss noted that with the roads being created in Etche land by the administration of Governor Amaechi, it would be easy for agricultural produce in the area to be transported to other parts of the state where  the demand is very high.

He reiterated the need for youths in the country to actively get involved in agriculture and transformation from crude to modernised and mechanised agriculture which he maintained would make the sector more attractive and increase agric yields that would check food crises.

Chris Oluoh