Gov. Obiano Attracts $660million Investment on Agriculture
Anambra State Government has said it has attracted over $660m investments on Agricultural sector.
The State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, stated this yesterday, during a celebration marking his one year in office, however added that his target in Agriculture was to make Anambra among the Top-3 agricultural states in Nigeria.
According to Obiano, these include $150 million investment in rice production and processing sited at Anaku, Ayamelum Local Government Area (LGA) by Coscharis Group; over $160 million investment in Omor Rice Mill and 5,000 hectares farmland for rice cultivation and processing by Joseph Agro Limited of the Aiteo Group.
Others are $220 million Tomato and Cassava production and processing farms in Omasi Community, Ayamelum LGA by Ekcel Farms Limited; the $40 million investment by Grains and Silos Limited to construct an ultra-modern grains storage facility to support our thriving brewery industry in Onitsha and other parts of south Eastern Nigeria; the$50 million agreement with Delfarm and Songhai Regional Centre to transform the farmsettlements of Igbariam into another Songhai agricultural marvel of Nigeria.
He added that these investments would repositioned the local farmers to take advantage of the agricultural revolution in the State.
“We have organized our farmers into 1,500 cooperatives. We have also equipped them with 100 Tractors, 45,000 tons of high-yielding rice seedlings, 18,000 tons of highly improved maze seedlings and 700 metric tons of fertilizers. Before the end of this year, we would have prepared over 1,000 hectares of land in readiness for mechanized farming”, Obiano hinted.
Continuing, the governor said; “Five days ago, we also commissioned the first Agricultural Training Center in Anambra in Mgbakwu. 250 youths are currently undergoing training in this facility in the areas of staple crop cultivation and processing, aquaculture, piggery and horticulture. These youths will be empowered with the initial capital to start their own micro-small-medium enterprises upon graduation”
He added that “Our efforts in agriculture will enable our state to produce over 300,000 metric tonnes of rice, 150,000 metric tonnes of cassava and 240,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes in the next 24 months. This will transform Anambra from a net-importer today to a self-sufficient and net exporter of staple foods in Nigeria tomorrow”.
Obiano also recalled that he earlier flagged off the construction of a $350 million wholesale shopping compex in Ogbunike in Oyi LGA, noting that the commercial and lifestyle complex will be the first of its kind in Africa designed to host a large number of wholesale and retail plazas, restaurants, state-of-the-art residential estates, a convention center and a hotel, and would be operated by leading brands from across the world.
