Otu Commits To Food Security As FG Flags Off Dry Season Farming in C’River

The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, has restated his administration’s commitment to expanding the frontiers of agriculture in conformity with the Federal Government’s food security drive.

The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, made the pledge at the official flag-off of the commencement of the 2024/2025 national dry season farming, which also marks the maiden beginning of wheat cultivation under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project in the state.

The flag-off of the 2024/2025 national dry season farming was part of the activities incorporated into the five-day National Council meeting on agriculture hosted by Cross River State.

Another major event during the Agriculture Council meeting was the commissioning of the ultra-modern fish hatchery facility in Calabar.

The hatchery was constructed by the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the coordination of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The Cross River State government committed counterpart funds to the project.

Speaking at the wheat cultivation and dry season farming flag-off, the governor informed that the recent approval by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security for Cross River to cultivate wheat has secured the state a place as the 16th wheat-producing state in Nigeria and the only one in the entire southern Nigeria.

“We express our appreciation to the Minister for this recognition and see it as a proper act to contribute meaningfully to agricultural production in our country,” he added.

Otu noted that the 2024/2025 dry season farming in the state will be centered on the cultivation of several crops, including wheat.

“To achieve a seamless commencement of this program, the Cross River State government has signed onto the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project, an offshoot of the Cross River statewide irrigation infrastructure development, with funding from the World Bank, which will assist in the construction and maintenance of irrigation facilities in the state.”

“The Cross River State government is pleased to play host to this assembly of technocrats, administrators, and policymakers in the agricultural sub-sector who are here to brainstorm on pertinent issues of national development, with particular reference to agricultural development.

“I am aware that several memorandums have been presented by different states and organizations present here, all targeted at addressing the observed challenges that have acted as a clog in agricultural development.

“Some memoranda also seek to introduce innovation in the system in line with global best practices. I commend all of you and pray that this meeting produces the desired results that would move the sector forward.

At the venue of the hatchery project, the Governor explained that “the hatchery has the capacity of producing over 5 million juveniles per quarter and it is complemented with a standard laboratory and training hall.”

He added, “It is hoped that the provision of fish feeds at a relatively low cost will bring down the cost of production and enhance sales and profit on investment by our fish farmers.”

In his keynote address, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, expressed delight at being in Cross River State to officially flag off the commencement of the 2024/2025 national dry season farming, also marking the maiden commencement of wheat cultivation under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project in the state.

“As you are quite aware, Mr. President accorded high attention to the agricultural sector right from the inception of this administration because of the pivotal position of the agricultural sector in the national economic revival process.

“To match words with action, Mr. President declared an emergency on food production to enable all Nigerians to have easy access to quality food at affordable rates,” the Agric Minister stated.

Senator Kyari averred that in furtherance of President Tinubu’s declaration and the priority attention given to the agricultural sector, the Federal Government secured a loan facility of $134 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to increase the production and productivity of some staple food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava during both dry and wet season farming.

“It is also worthy to note that the national dry season farming was reintroduced to boost year-round agricultural production and to guarantee national food and nutrition security in the country.

“So far, the NAGS-AP Project has been able to support 107,429 wheat farmers under phase 1 of the 2023/2024 dry season, 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the 2023/2024 dry season, and most recently, 192,095 rice, maize, sorghum/millet, soybean, and cassava farmers under the 2024 wet season across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” Kyari stated.

In their separate remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, and other stakeholders, notably the Chairman of the Senate House Committee on Agriculture, Senator Mustapha Salihu, and representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), among others, spoke glowingly of the Tinubu-led agricultural programs, pledging their support for the administration’s drive towards food security. The ultra-modern fish hatchery in Calabar is sited at the premises of the Agriculture and Rural Development Project, ADP.