Umuahia – Plans are under way to export one-million-tonne cassava
chips valued at 136 million dollars to China from this month, Dr
Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has
said.
Adesina said this in Umuahia on Wednesday during the inauguration of
the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, a critical component of the
Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
The scheme is an innovative approach to fertiliser subsidy
administration through an electronic system which ensures that only
registered farmers benefit.
“Nigeria will earn 136 million dollars just this year as a result of
this exportation and this is happening for the first time in our
history.”
He minister reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to
embark on measures that would boost the capacity of farmers in the
country.
“We must use cassava to create a whole lot of things and that is why
we must double our efforts on cassava cultivation in this country.”
He said that the government had approved funds for the empowerment of farmers in Abia.
“The Federal Government will be providing the sum of N35 million to provide improved cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers in Abia.”
He said that eight varieties of hybrid cocoa had been released for
onward delivery to farmers and that 25,000 pods would be distributed to
farmers in the state free of charge.
“The average yield we are getting today from cocoa is 0.4 tonnes per
hectare; the yield of the new cocoa hybrid will give you two tonnes per
hectare and that means you will get five times the yield you are
currently getting.”
“Each cocoa farmer will also get the approved fungicides and cartons of insecticides.”
He applauded the contributions of Abia as the largest cocoa producer in the South-East geo-political zone.
The minister commended Chief David Onyenweaku from Abia, acknowledged
as the country’s largest individual cocoa, saying “it is because of
people like this that the Federal Government is encouraging farmers.”
(NAN)
Source: vanguard
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