Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has identified the need for swift development in the state’s agricultural sector. He said that his administration has mapped out policies and programme which will be enforced to stimulate the agro-industrial revolution.

The governor who disclosed this during an interview with newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia said, “We are going to increase our tempo in agriculture because we intend to stir up an agro-based industrial revolution in Abia.

According to him,“We want to improve the economy of each local government council in Abia by establishing cottage processing mills for rice, cassava, and oil palm.”

The state governor revealed that his administration was committed to the welfare of the people and also improve food security in the state.

According to him, the government is making efforts to establishing an agro-allied industrial estate to make the state a value addition hub in agriculture.

He said that the government has the intention of hiking 3 million Tenera seedlings to be distributed to farmers to boost the production of oil palm in the state.

During the Commissioning of the Acha Rice Processing Mill with De-Stoner, established under the state Agro-Processing Revolution programme, Ikpeazu stand was to place a policy to increase rice production but would not export for now.

He said, “Abia government is working towards establishing a cassava economy by acquiring a processing plant that would process cassava tubers to starch of pharmaceutical grade.”

The government spent N48 million to train 200 youths in using modern agricultural tools and methods which would be a critical propeller of its development agenda, he added.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA