The Cross River State government has launched an agricultural project aimed at transforming 12,000 hectares of land at Odukpani Local Government Area of the state into a hub for cultivating rice, maize, cassava, wheat, coffee, and cowpea.
This initiative involves a substantial investment of six billion naira from the state government.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of land clearing and developing of the 12,000 hectares of farmland for onboarding out-growers, Governor Otu emphasized the strategic importance of agriculture to the state’s economy, and the potential of the project to lift over 4,000 people out of unemployment.
Governor Otu assured the local communities that the project was designed to empower them rather than dispossess them of their land, promising technical support to ensure high agricultural yields.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, said the project aims at empowering 100,000 agribusiness MSMEs and small holder farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state, with a focus on youths and women.
Governor Otu’s top priorities include enhancing human capacity in agriculture, health, education and wealth creation, with agriculture serving as the cornerstone of the state’s economy.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
