Victor EzejaIn its quest to key into the economy diversification agenda of the Federal Government, the Anambra State Government has indicated readiness to invest in coconut and palm production and also partner with farmers in that area as a way of generating income for the state.
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo during flag-off of the 2022 Farming Season, at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, stated that the palm and coconut production initiative was part of efforts to introduce regenerative agriculture as the pathway to food sufficiency and repositioning of the state’s economy.
According to the Governor, his administration is championing the reenactment of the palm revolution which built the old eastern region, as a way of going back to where the late M.I. Okpara stopped.
Soludo explained that since the value of crude oil is depreciating, going into coconut and palm production becomes one of the viable alternatives in agriculture to generate income.
The Governor maintained that he foresees the coconut and palm economy becoming a major game changer in the diversification of economic resources for foreign exchange.
He expressed his administration’s readiness to partner communities and individuals who are interested in going into palm and coconut farming, projecting that if it continues for the next ten years, Anambra will be earning billions of dollars in export as a fore-runner to the introduction of the industrialization, liesure and other new economies.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Foster Ihejiofor harped on the governor’s commitment to not just agriculture but the well-being of Anambra people, pledging that they will work with Anambra farmers to systematically migrate from chemical-based conventional farming to regenerative biologically-driven farming.
Dr. Ihejiofor explained that to drive the process, they created Sustainable Agriculture Task Team (SATT) saddled with domesticating best farming practices for Anambra, stressing that when fully implemented, it will drastically curtail the cost of farm inputs, thereby increasing the wealth of Anambra farmers, while lowering the cost of food for all.
The theme of the event is ‘Empowering Women and Youth through Regenerative Agriculture for Sustainable Development’.
The governor wished farmers a great farming season and a bountiful harvest ahead.
Those that attended the event included farmers from the 21 local government areas in the state.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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