By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State government, yesterday, disclosed that it has begun the revamping of all profitable agricultural facilities spread across the state in order to boost agricultural activities and increase the internally generated revenue of the state.

The facilities included Nkaliki Integrated Poultry Farm in Abakaliki Local Government Area, housing 16 hectares of land; 16 number pens for layers and broilers; feed bill that produces poultry feeds; processing plants for chicken among others; Oshiri Cattle Ranch in Onicha Local Government Area and Ezzamgbo Veterinary Farm located at Ohaukwu Local Government Area, housing a veterinary school, piggery, rabbit sections, slaughter house, administrative blocks and two dams to be converted to a fish pond among others in the state.

Vegetable farmers at work

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Uchenna Orji, who stated this at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki, during a one-day training programme for farmers drawn from 13 Local Government Areas of the state added that the goal of the present administration was to ensure availability of abundant food and self reliance of Ebonyi people.

According to the commissioner, who stated that the current administration had concluded arrangements to empower 100 farmers in each local government area of the state in poultry farming, assured the farmers that the state government would provide the needed farming inputs and support to aid them succeed in their chosen venture as the marketing of their products would be done by the state government.

Orji noted that the menace of Avian influenza had become a national issue that requires collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to tackle even as he called on farmers, especially those in poultry farming to make judicious use of bio-security items provided by the federal government through the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

According to the commissioner, Ebonyi is the only state within the South East geopolitical zone of the country to benefit from Federal Government’s compensation plans to farmers whose poultry farms were affected by the scourge of Avian Influenza last year.

He stated added that on 5th  July Federal Government delegation will be in Ebonyi for an on the spot assessment of the situation and subsequently compensate all the affected farmers in the state.

“Ebonyi is the only state within the South East zone to benefit from the compensation arrangement of the Federal government for those whose livestock suffered the scourge of Avian Influenza last year. On 5th  July the Federal government delegation will be in the state for on the spot assessment based on our recommendations which will pave way for those affected to be compensated”

He called on farmers to ensure that they register with the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources so that they can be part of the data base being generated by the Ministry and be eligible for every provision that the state government would make available to them throughout the stay of the present administration.

Highlight of the event witnessed the flag off of bio-security items including shovels, diggers, hand gloves, wheel barrows among others by the state government to curtail the spread of Avian Influenza in the state.