The Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, on Wednesday, revealed his administration plans to help farmers in the state increase their revenue through middlemen who buy off their farm produce and sell at a higher price without going through the pains of the farmers.

Otu, represented by the Accountant General of the State; Mrs Glory Effiong disclosed this while flagging off the cultivation of 2,000 hectares of commercial maize in Odukpani Local Government Area through the state government’s Project Grow Initiative.

Effiong said the Project was a testament to what resilience could achieve, noting that the occasion was symbolic to celebrate the commencement of mechanical planting of maize over a commercial area of 2,000 hectares.

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The initiative was designed to curb food insecurity and create a sustainable economy in the state by having farmers cultivate and companies like Flour Mills off-take.

Effiong noted, “The Project Grow initiative is a market-driven strategy aimed at stimulating private sector investment in key agricultural value chains such as maize, rice, cassava, aquaculture and animal fodder.

“It is my dream that every resident of Cross River will live above the poverty line because the Nigerian economy has shown a wide gap between the rich and the poor but this initiative aims to bridge it.”