Gov. Soludo: Aims to Make Farmers’ Cooperatives Employers of Labour

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has said his administration aims at making farmers

‘ Cooperatives in the state, employers of Labour.

Soludo said this would be achieved through purposeful support to farmers in the state, both through loans and the presentation of modern farm equipment that would aid their work and increase their yield.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, stated this at the weekend, during the flag-off of the 2023 farming season in Awka, the state capital.

Ibezim, in his brief remarks, after the presentation of agricultural enhancement equipment estimated at 21 million Naira, which was made possible by Adani-Omor Zonal Staple Crops Processing Implementation Unit of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-One (ATASP-1), the deputy governor called on them to make good use of the equipment.

“I have confidence that the equipment presented to you today will turn the beneficiaries into employers of labour and major contributors to the food supply in the state and the country at large.

“The multiplier effect of this kind of empowerment is what the government of Professor Chukwuma Soludo has been talking about.”

The commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Ihejiofor, also warned the beneficiaries against misuse of the equipment, stressing that they were provided with loans from the African Development Bank (AfDB) , which can be paid back with time by the federal government and state.

“These equipment are not free. They were funded with public money, so the farmers who benefited from these equipment, must work hard to produce and process foods with them so that we have abundance and food becomes cheaper in the state and the country. You are also expected to use these machines to create jobs and wealth and that is what the government wants to achieve. “

ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zonal Program Coordinator, Mr. Ronanus Egba, told newsmen that a total of 13 farmers groups across Anambra state would benefit from the initiative in the state and that the beneficiaries were selected based on a needs assessment done by the program.

These agricultural enhancement machines were procured and distributed to various farmers’ cooperative groups based on their needs. We are giving them because we felt that farmers we are supporting in our zone should also use them to boost their livelihood and income which is one of the major objectives of ATASP-1 which is to create employment and income generation along the agricultural value chain of rice, cassava, and sorghum.

Our farmers in Umumbo, for instance, have been crying that they have a giant rice mill in their community yet they could not have access to it because they could not afford it. So, we are able to provide them with another smaller rice processing machine that they can install in their own village.

We also supported our farmers in Awa and Awgbu with a hammer mill because the problem they have is that they cannot process cassava into flour. So, we believe that this machine will boost their post-harvest processing capacities.

“We also provided them with sprayers so they can use it in their farms as well. We also provided farmers with hand-held planters so that farmers would no longer go through the pains of bending down to plant their seeds. The planters can be used to plant maize, rice, and sorghum. We also provided mobile cassava grating machines because we discovered that we have farmers that are doing well in cassava production but they don’t have a grating machine to process them. The good thing about this machine is that it can be taken to where ever it is needed to assist the farmer in grating cassava”.

The presentation was made during the official launch of the 2023 farming season in Anambra state on Thursday, June 15, 2023, by the Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim alongside the state commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Forster Ihejiofor and the Chairman Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers Council, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe.

The beneficiaries of the agricultural enhancement equipment include the Obioma Farmers’ Cooperative, Umumbo, Orji-Ugo Farmers’ Cooperative, Anaku (Ayamelum LGA); Obinwanne Farmers’ Cooperative, Awgbu & Ifeadigo Farmers’ Cooperative, Awa (Orumba North LGA) as well as Isuofia farmers.

The Umumbo farmers took home Mobile Threshers, Rubber-Mill, Rice Destoner, and Dryer machines as well as Handheld planters.Anaku farmers, received Mobile Thresher and Knapsack sprayer.

Meanwhile, Awgbu and Awa farmers were empowered with One Hammer Mill and Knap Sack Sprayer each while Isuofia farmers received Cassava Grater, three Knap Sack and a Handheld Planter.