Deputy Governor Urges A'Ibom People To Embrace Agriculture

Agriculture

Deputy Governor Urges A'Ibom People To Embrace Agriculture

The state deputy governor has emphasised the need for Akwa Ibom people to embrace agriculture to increase food production towards achieving food sufficiency in the state. Mr Moses Ekpo, who featured on Close-Up programme of Redemption 101.5 FM, Oku- Abak in Abak Local Government Area, said the active involve

ment of the people in agriculture would enable the state to record sufficiency in food production. The state deputy governor called on the people of the state to make optimal use of any available land at their disposal for the cultivation of crops.

He said the Udom Emmanuel administration attaches priority attention to agriculture, and advised the people to form themselves into farmer cooperatives to be able to benefit from government agricultural inputs.

He noted that the favourable weather condition of Akwa Ibom makes it possible for people to convert available land into farming in addition to venturing into either fish farming and poultry farming for food to be sufficient in the state.

The deputy governor, while reacting to an issue on COVID-19 palliative distribution, explained that being a palliative, it was initiated by the government to impact the lives of those in extreme poverty in the society.

Ekpo said the inauguration of a rice mill in Odoro Ikpe, Ikono; cocoa fermentation and drying factory at Ananamong in Ini Local Government Area; the fertilizer blending factory in OkuAbak; the flour mill in Onna as well as the distribution of improved cocoa seedlings and coconut plantations in many locations in the state to feed St Gabriel Refinery in Mkpat Enin, among others, were in line with government's commitment to the growth and development of agriculture in the state.

He advised the people of Akwa Ibom to take advantage of government interest in agriculture to venture into commercial agriculture to enable them to make profit in addition to feeding the Akwa Ibom public.