Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has inaugurated a 50,000-hectare rice farm in Ndok, Ogoja Local Government Area, as part of efforts to transform the agricultural sector in the state.
The project, backed by a credit scheme, receives N150 million monthly from the state government for agricultural development.
Governor Otu emphasized that the initiative aims to revolutionize agriculture in collaboration with farmers, with a focus on short-term crops such as rice and cassava, alongside plans to develop oil palm and rubber plantations.
“We are engaging with farmers’ groups as part of our agricultural revolution, focusing initially on short-term food crops like rice and cassava,” Governor Otu stated. “We are committed to ensuring the provision of essential resources like credit-guarantee schemes to facilitate financial assistance for dedicated farmers.”
The governor encouraged individuals to take advantage of the opportunity to engage in agricultural production to further drive the state’s agricultural agenda.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, Johnson Ebokpo, disclosed that the government had acquired new tractors to be distributed to local government areas to enhance agricultural mechanization. These tractors will be managed by farmers’ cooperatives, empowering youths and supporting smallholder farmers in expanding their operations.
Emmanuel Anoh, chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in Cross River, projected a minimum yield of six tonnes of rice per hectare of land, which translates to 140 bags of 50kg of rice per hectare. He expressed confidence that this significant increase would positively impact food availability in Nigeria.
Anoh commended the Cross River government for the initiative and expressed optimism about its outcome, indicating the potential for transforming the agricultural landscape in the state and beyond.