The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) notes that it is committed to boosting agriculture in Abia.
Executive Secretary of NALDA, Mr Paul Ikonne, revealed in a statement in Abuja by the agency’s Director of Communications, Mr Tope Ojeme.
Ikonne expressed the readiness of the agency to partner with the state government to resuscitate the Ogwe Golden Chicken farm.
He said that the mandate of the agency was to ensure availability of food, adding that it had rolled out the Back to Farm and National Young Farmers Schemes.
According to Ikonne, Abia had been selected as one of the pilot states for the schemes in the country.
He gave an assurance that NALDA would provide technical support, training and inputs to encourage farmers to produce enough food for the country.
The executive secretary, however, urged communities to make land available for farming,
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, on his part, said that the state was willing to partner with NALDA to revive the Ogwe Golden Chicken farm.
Ikpeazu noted that his administration was building cottage industries in the 17 local government areas of the state.
He also said that his administration was working toward making the state a major food processing hub.
The governor added that he was already mainstreaming agriculture for job creation and provision of raw materials.
He pledged to work with NALDA in critical areas that would ensure value addition.
Ikpeazu, however, called for urgent intervention to tackle the gully erosion increasingly ravaging arable lands in the state.
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