A/ Ibom sets up farm equipment leasing firm for farmers to boost food production

From Isaac Job, Uyo

Akwa Ibom state government said it has set up farm equipment leasing company as strategy to boost food production through mechanized farming and initiated tree crop revolution programme as well as provided N2b grants to farmers under Arise Agenda of pastor Umo Eno’s administration in Agriculture in the last 3 years .

Speaking during the ongoing Ministerial Briefing to mark 39th anniversary of the state creation at Government House Uyo, the Commissioner for Agriculture Dr Offiong Offor said the present administration in the state has made landmark achievements in Agriculture including sponsorship of cocoa challenge programme where cocoa farmers are supported with capacity building workshops and training.

Offor explained that pastor Umo Eno has commissioned farm equipment leasing company where farmers obtained farm machines at subsidized rate for ground preparations and planting .

“Governor Umo Eno definitely has commissioned the equipment leasing company, and that company has tractors and farm implements that support farmers in land preparation, heavily subsidised by 50%

“So that means that the farmers get 50% off the regular price they would have gotten in the local market to get machines to work on their farms.

“He did that intentionally because if you want to increase food production, if you want to put more food on the table, you want to increase production.

“And the old methods of using hoes and cutlasses in their markets will not get you to the level that you desire.

“So when you use machines, machines will help you work faster and get more than if you use manual labour. So he has done that and set up that company. And many farmers are plugging into it. They are benefiting from it, and they’re very happy that he has done something of the sort”.

Offor listed other achievements of pastor Umo Eno in Agriculture to include payment of counterpart funds to fix 486 roads through Rural Agriculture And Marketing Production ( RAaMP) which support farmers to convey Agriculture products from farms to markets

According to the Agriculture Commissioner, others achievements include establishment of Ibom Model Farm, revamping of Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programmes( AKADEP) as a link between farmers and research institutions.

On tree crop revolution programme, Offor said the state government has distributed over 120,000 oil palm to farmers across 31 local government areas of the state

“Thus far, 14 local government areas have received oil palm seedlings

” 5,000 have been shared to them, and 1,700 farmers have been reached in the local government areas that the oil palm seedlings have thus far been shared.

“I heard him say clearly that this is what parents used to do to send their children to school and take care of their families.

“So it is a symbol of generational wealth that we need to go back to

“Many people are plugging into it, not just the regular farmers. Several people, people that you would never even imagine would own farms, but they are interested. They are growing oil palm.

“And that’s why he called it a revolution. That means that so many people are buying into it”.

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