As part of the efforts to reactivate farm estates in Nigeria, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has recovered 4000 hectares of abandoned farmland in Adamawa state.
NALDA says it will therefore commence agronomy practices this February in preparation for the rainy season farming.
The Executive Secretary, NALDA, Paul Ikonne, who visited the farmland with some officials for an on-the-spot assessment, said the move will empower over 1000 farming families.
He the organisation says these farm estates were introduced in the ’60s across the regions, in line with their comparative advantage in agricultural production, for the survival and sustenance of the economy.
The estates were then occupied by farmers, who engaged in the production of various cash, edible crops and livestock for revenue generation and food for the teeming population of the zones and beyond.
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However these estates have become a monumental loss, as Nigeria’s old farm estates remain in shambles.
At a time recession and food crisis appear imminent coupled with Corona virus Pandemic, the return to agriculture has therefore become inevitable.
For this reason, the executive secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Paul Ikonne, said the surest way to achieve food security is to rejuvenate the farm estate schemes, considered as the correct avenue, to revamp the country’s dying agricultural potential.
Ikonne maintained, that the farmland was one NALDA’s farm estates, abandoned several years ago and explained that the authority is also acting according to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the NALDA boss, the reactivation will empower over 1000 youths and every decayed facilities in the farm, will be rehabilitated and utilized to boost food production and wealth creation.
Edited by Tunde Orebiyi.
