18/09/2012 (BusinessDay) - Abia State is regarded as the food basket of the South East geopolitical zone. The state has a highly diversified agro-ecological condition, which makes the production of a wide-range of agricultural products possible.

The state produces cash crops such as cocoa, rubber, cashew, palm oil, rice, maize and cassava in commercial quantities.

Agriculture is one of the most potentially viable sectors of the state’s economy, particularly in terms of its employment generation potentials as well as its contribution to the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR).

However, this viable aspect of the state’s economy had been left untapped by previous administrations in the state. Now, to give agriculture a boost, the current administration in the state, led by Governor Theodore Orji, is impacting positively on farmers through its agencies, like the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP).

Consequently, the Orji administration is planning to create jobs and increase the state’s internally generated revenue through the establishment of mega farms in all the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of the state. The programme, tagged, ‘Liberation Farms’, is expected to create additional 4,000 jobs.

Governor Orji, while inaugurating the distribution of free improved cocoa seedlings and agro-input for cocoa farmers in the state, explained that livestock, fisheries and poultry would be involved, noting that the mega farms would serve as centres for intensive production of all agricultural products as well as job creation centres.

The administration has also mapped out programmes to supply fertiliser and other farm inputs to genuine farmers in the state. It also encouraged mechanised farming through the provision of loan facilities to big farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture acquired 55 tractors under public-private partnership initiative and farmers, who did not benefit from the programme have been advised to approach the ADP for its tractor hiring services.

The government is also providing training as well as extension services to farmers. These training programmes are geared towards introducing mechanised farming, especially to the youths that have refused to go into farming due to the drudgery involved in manual farming.

The administration, in collaboration with the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, has done a lot in widening the horizon of farmers into the modern farming techniques. Government has also programmed its agricultural agencies into those of the Federal Government and international agricultural agencies like the IFAD and FADAMA 111 and others for the formulation and execution of agricultural policies. The government has continued to honour its counterpart obligations on them.

Governor Orji recently signed an irreversible standing order (ISPO) to give farmers impetus to access the N1 billion commercial agriculture loan of the Federal Government. The state has also joined the Federal Government’s cassava and oil transformation initiative (COTI).

Ike Onyenwaku, Commissioner for Agriculture, affirmed that the state government intends to give cocoa production in the state the impetus and make it more attractive to investors and young school leavers. Government also intends to generally create awareness of the huge talent and economic potentials of cocoa production.

He explained that the ministry is bubbling with activities following active financial and moral support of Governor Orji to the transformation agenda of the Federal Government. These active interventions are particularly targeted at intensive cultivation of cassava, cocoa, rice, and oil palm, as well as support for aquaculture, leather, sheep rearing, goat rearing and piggery.

He revealed that the state has commenced the disbursement of N1 billion agricultural loan to boost the capital base of poor farmers in the state.

According to him, Abia has enormous potentials for cocoa production. The rich soil and evenly distributed rainfall in the state cannot be harnessed just for cocoa production, but also for the commercial production of other cash crops and livestock.

Onyenwaku urged potential investors to tap from the rich agricultural resources for production and processing of various crops and livestock, including cocoa. He assured: “I thank our farmers, particularly, those engaged in cocoa production for their patience, support and understanding. Some of you have made Abia proud by wining national laurels. We promise to do whatever is needed to enable you excel in your chosen vocation and improve our current rating in cocoa production”.

The commissioner urged the farmers to make good use of the inputs by properly applying the skills they have acquired from the cocoa farmer field schools as well as consider the coming together of farmers’ schools as cooperative societies to establish cocoa seeds processing plants in the state.

Emezue is the chief press secretary to Abia State governor.

Abia State, with capital in Umuahia, was created out of the former Imo State in 1991. It is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region. The name “Abia” is an abbreviation of four of the state’s densely populated regions Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo. It is one of the thirty-six states that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Abia people speak Igbo and English languages fluently. Abia’s 2.4 million people are mainly Christians.

Crude oil (and gas) production is a prominent activity, as it contributes to 39 percent of the GDP. Representing 27 percent of the GDP, agriculture, which employs 70 percent of the state workforce, is the second economic sector of Abia. With its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much arable land that produces yams, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, and cassava. Aba is Nigeria’s centre of commerce.

There are three universities in the state: the federally owned Michael Okpara University of Agriculture at Umudike and the state-owned Abia State University in Uturu and the Gregory University, Uturu (privately owned).The Abia State Polytechnic is also in the city of Aba.

There are two major power plants in Abia: Alaoji Power and Geometric Power plants.