Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has explained that the ongoing revolutionizing of the agriculture sector in the state is to ensure that it becomes a mainstay of the state’s economy.
He said the government was taking full advantage of the factors of sufficient rainfall, fertile and vast availability of lands in the state.
Recounting his government feats in the agriculture sector, Otu said in the next few months, his administration will unleash support packages for smallholder farmers to speed up food production, combat hunger and ensure food security.
“The State Government has accordingly inaugurated a committee for the Value Chain Policy and Strategy Development on cocoa, oil palm and coffee.
“This is the food crops revolution and the same initiative will be extended to cash crops like cocoa and oil palm.
Remembering that in the 1960s and 1990s agriculture was the mainstay of the State’s economy, Otu said his administration has laid out strategies to revamp cocoa and natural rubber plantations, oil palm, timber and other food crops and their value chains in Cassava, yam, rice, maize, millet etc.
He, however, stated that the ‘inverted priority’ given to the extractive industry was the main causative factor in the recent backwardness in agriculture and its value chain.
“We are now poised to change the agricultural landscape for the better.
“Taking cognizance of the enormous employment potentials in the agriculture value chain, the multiplier effect in reducing youth restiveness, its contribution to food security and combating hunger, my administration has taken some bold steps to put the sector back on the pedestal.
“Smallholder farmers have been sustaining our food security endeavour before our planned transition to mass production through mechanized agriculture; hence their continuous encouragement.”
He stated that the re-mapping and re-classification of state-owned land in the Southern Senatorial District for Commercial Agriculture Utilization has been concluded.