By Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has trained 100 farmers drawn from the state’s 13 local government areas on modern techniques in rice and livestock production through a strategic partnership with the Government of Thailand.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, disclosed this while interacting with journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
She said the initiative is part of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s renewed drive to boost food security and agricultural productivity in the state through people’s charter of needs.
According to Iyioku, the administration has intensified efforts by distributing agricultural inputs to farmers across the state at no cost.
“Since we came on board, we have been distributing a lot of agricultural inputs to help our farmers and we give them free of charge,” she stated.
She attributed recent improvements in food affordability, particularly rice, to increased participation in farming and sustained government support. “The cost of rice, for instance, which sold for ₦35,000 to ₦40,000 during the last December period, now goes for between ₦22,000 and ₦25,000,” she said.
Iyioku added that food prices in Ebonyi are more affordable compared to neighbouring states. “Even if you go to the North, the price of food in Ebonyi is still better. In Abakaliki, it is much more affordable. I stand to be corrected,” she said confidently.
Highlighting recent developments, the commissioner revealed that agricultural experts from Thailand recently conducted a one-day intensive training for selected farmers in the state.
“We invited experts from Thailand, known globally for their excellence in rice and fish farming. They trained 100 farmers on modern best practices in rice and livestock production,” she said.
She said the state government’s long-term goal is to position Ebonyi as the food basket of the nation. As part of this vision, the state is collaborating with the federal government to rehabilitate dams and promote irrigation-based farming.
“One of our major challenges is the reliance on seasonal farming. But once our dams are fully developed, we will begin farming two to three times a year and even start exporting rice,” she said.
In a recent milestone, the ministry harvested over 3,050 kilograms of paddy rice from its demonstration farm in Ishielu LGA a testament to the viability of the government’s agricultural interventions.
While acknowledging hurdles such as climate change and flooding, Iyioku affirmed that the state government is proactively addressing them. “There’s nothing you do in this world that doesn’t come with challenges. But 70 per cent of farmers are testifying positively to what the government is doing,” she concluded.