ACHIEVEMENTS OF GOVERNOR OKEZIE IKPEAZU, THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

Agriculture

In agriculture, the state has launched large scale mushroom production and training program that is already yielding great results.

Our administration is actively supporting rice farmers to further boost production and put more 'Abia Rice' in the market with the target of producing enough to feed all Abians in 2019.

We have a massive Palm plantation with over 4,000,000 tenera specie seedlings grown and sold across the state. Our target is 7.5m seedlings at the end of 2019.

Abia state government is funding commercial agriculture through grants and soft loans to farmers.

We have provided mechanized farming equipment across the state through leasing at affordable rates that is less than 50% of the previous cost.

Commercial production of cocoa and cashew have been boosted through deliberate investment by the government. Our objective is to ultimately establish processing plants for the primary products to further enhance benefits within the value chain for the cash crops.

We are directly providing fertilizers to farmers at subsidized rates alongside extension services.

Our administration embarked on enhanced poultry and fish production with phase 1 of 100 poultry pens of 2000 birds executed.

This administration constructed a 165,000 birds capacity poultry processing plant at Umuosu Nsulu in Abia central senatorial zone. Additional two units for Abia North and South are currently under construction.

Following our provision of counterpart funding for FADAMA III projects, 300 young Abia farmers benefitted from N2.5m per person grant as part of the Farmpreneur project of the world bank (FADAMA).

Also in partnership with the world bank, we have commenced reactivation of the moribund Igu Dam to ensure all year round rice production in the state.

We are currently in partnership with Bank of Agriculture and the federal government in the enhanced eggs production project.

Advice to Abia State Government:

Endeavour to match propaganda with the reality on ground unlike our BANK OF INDUSTRY and the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA