The National Agricultural Land Development Authority NALDA has commissioned its Achara-Ubo, Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate in Imo State South East Nigeria in line with government’s effort to engage women and youth in the Agriculture sector.
Located in Owerri North local government area, the farm sits on 35 hectares of arable land with six poultry houses, 18 pens that contain about 15,000 birds, three goat houses with 196 goats and three piggeries containing 108 pigs.
It also boasts of three solar-powered boreholes, access roads, drainage and solar-powered street lights on the farm.
Other facilities that are near completion on the farm includes the feed processing facility, the processing and packaging facility and the crop area which is expected to be cultivated in the 2022 Farming season.
Job Creation
NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne said the project was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration vision to create jobs for the youth and women to ensure food security.
He added that the farm will give 600 direct engagements to farmers in poultry, piggery and goat rearing while 200 additional farmers will be engaged in the processing, packaging and export.
“Achara-Ubo farm is expected to take in 600 farmers, the processing and packaging section will soon start, which will take in additional 200 people and the crop section will soon start because we have provided the tractors.
“This farm will be a centre that will train farmers within and outside Imo State and the 200 beneficiaries have been trained and empowered with knowledge and they are the first set of people to benefit from this project and as they pass out in the next 6 months, they will start their own farming activities and another set of people will come.
“The activation of this farm is one of the ways to demonstrate the passion of President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of agriculture,” he said.
He added that “this farm was abandoned for 30 solid years and NALDA took over and developed it The farm is purely the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to reactivate and reform farm estate across the country because the president believes that going back to the land is the only way our economy can be sustained and our youth will be gainfully employed to achieve food security. We are very hopeful that the farm will be very productive and that the farmers will begin to earn income.
He maintained that in the first year of the entire project, approximately 1,000 farmers will be engaged in the area of animal husbandry, processing and packaging.
Capacity building
Ikonne said “the good thing is that this place would become a training ground for the youths in Imo State as they pass through one year here and they will be established. We are partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria to give them support; a grant that they will use to establish their own farms. So for the first one year they will be here, they will get the technical knowledge, they will know how to rear their own animals and then the central bank grant comes in to support their projects.
“The grant is across the country and we are looking at three million naira per farmer and it is a revolving loan as they are productive; so with that you will see that the number of the unemployed will reduce in the state and across the country”.
To ensure its sustainability, Ikonne noted that the project will be handed over to the community to take its ownership for proper management.
“So I charge the beneficiaries to take the project seriously. As you pass out, you will get soft support facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria that will help you start your own project. The enabling environment given to NALDA to reactivate this farm is encouraging. So farmers, women and youths, it’s time for us go to back to farm because that is the only way we stay safe in the near future, create jobs and provide food security”, he said.
He added that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of three cassava processing plants in Imo State which will engage 1000 women this farming season to enable more garri production and feed for the animals.
The NALDA boss also revealed that the President has approved the rehabilitation of Songhai Farm and more youths are expected to be engaged.
Beneficiaries laud FG
Some of the beneficiaries of the project who spoke to journalists at the farm, applauded the federal government for resuscitating the moribund farm estate.
They said the training has helped them gain firsthand knowledge in animal husbandry.
One of the beneficiaries, 40-year old Agba Kingsley, head of the goat department who left block moulding business to join the farm said he found farming more lucrative.
He called on young Nigerians to embrace farming and said “government is doing well by establishing the farm and the business is profitable. So if Nigerian youths have interest in farming, the outcome will be profitable for them; they should join us”.
Another beneficiary at the poultry section, Nnadi Chioma Sylvia said the business has helped her employ additional 10 people.
Sylvia said “the farm has helped my family and being part of this is a great opportunity and when people see me now, it’s obvious they will know that I’m benefiting and I have engaged 10 people”.
Similarly, the project coordinator, Emeka Ugwunali expressed hope that the project will help the host community and beneficiaries improve their well-being.
Delivering his speech during the commissioning, Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma said the project would be sustained through local security and several trainings that would put a larger number of beneficiaries on the track of sustainable animal husbandry.
He said “the partnership with NALDA is to enable the federal government to bring more equipment to enable off-takers to take our products to the appropriate market and thereby make us earn more income and increase our internally generated revenue.”
The governor said the state government in collaboration with the federal government will invest N18 billion for the revival of the moribund Songhai Farm.
“I want to thank NALDA for the wonderful work they are doing, he added.
Nneka Ukachukwu
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