NALDA Targets N1.7B with First Integrated Farm Estate
Ene Okwanihe, Abuja.
In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to lift one hundred (100) million Nigerians out of poverty, The first Integrated Farm Estate by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has opened in Suduje, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state, North West Nigeria with a target to generate One point seven Billion Naira in its first year and engage over one thousand five hundred (1,500) widows, women and youth.
The integrated Farm Estate which was completed in less than six months is the first of its kind in recent times in Nigeria and first in the series of one and nine (109) to come and it aims at developing the rural communities in Nigeria and improving livelihood and income of the people through agriculture.
FACILITIES ON THE FARM
The farm boasts of forty (40) poultry pens with a capacity of over four hundred thousand (400,000) birds, Fish ponds with a capacity of producing two hundred thousand (200,000) fishes, Cow and Goat pens with a capacity of five hundred (500) animals, Rabbit pens with the capacity to take three thousand (3,000) rabbits, Bee apiary with a capacity of five hundred and forty (540) litres of honey per harvest, Crop farming, packaging and processing zones.
The Estate which is established on a one hundred (100) hectares land donated by the Katsina state government also comprises of social amenities such as access roads, school, clinic and a residential area, with one hundred and twenty (120) units of one bedroom apartments for farmers and their families to live and work in the farm.
While delivering his welcome address at the official commissioning ceremony of the farm estate, by President Muhammadu Buhari in Suduje in Katsina, the Executive Secretary of NALDA Prince Paul Ikonne said the Integrated Farm Estate (IFE) is all encompassing as it would produce, process, package and also recycle animal waste for organic fertilizer.
“With the farm’s poultry, fishery, rabbitry and Bee keeping unit, about 95% of the nutritional requirement of the system is self-sustained through resource recycling”
“This farm is designed as cyclical, where every process is part of a value chain. It is divided into 80 hectares for crop production and 20 hectares for animal production, processing and packaging, with growing of feeds, which include recycling animal wastes as fertilizer for plants, and growing plants to feed the animals”
Prince Ikonne stated that the farmers are being trained on best agricultural practices in crop farming, livestock, poultry, rabbits and fish farming while noting that the farm has a processing and packaging zone for fish, chicken and pepper.
He also noted that the farm is also open to Farmers from outside the Estate bringing in their products, especially pepper to be processed and packaged so they can get more value.
CONTINUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
For continuity and sustainability, the NALDA boss said the authority designed a management system whereby Jaiz Bank will manage the entire facility with a team of our professionals.
He added that the project, when replicated across the country, would increase GDP, reduce unemployment and will go a long way towards achieving food security.
Prince Ikonne further appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for his visionary leadership and commitment to achieving food security, noting that the entire project would not have been possible without Mr. President’s direct supervision of NALDA.
