By Steve Oko

UMUAHIA – The Abia State Government has announced plans to cultivate 8,500 hectares of land for wet season rice farming in 2025, under its In-Growers Scheme. This initiative is part of the broader food security strategy of the Alex Otti-led administration.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made this known during a press briefing following the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia. He stated that the goal is to position Abia as a leading rice-producing state in the South-East region.

According to Kanu, over 400 rice farmers have already been registered in the Abam communities alone, with the official flag-off to be coordinated by the State Ministry of Agriculture.

“Under this initiative, the Ministry will aggregate farmers’ cooperatives across different crop value chains, starting with rice. The target is 8,500 hectares across various rice belt communities, primarily in Abia North,” Kanu said.

He revealed that at Ndi-Okereke Abam, over 500 hectares of land have been verified, with more than 400 genuine rice farmers already authenticated. Additionally, 150 hectares are under cultivation in Owerinta, where the Ministry had earlier commenced rice planting efforts.

The program will also be extended to other state-owned farmlands in Bende, Mkpa, Ofeme, Ozuitem, Ndi-Okereke, and Ndi-Oji Abam, as part of a phased expansion.

Prince Kanu noted that beneficiaries of the Abia State–CSS Farms agro-collaboration are performing well, with over 90% of participants recording significant success in their chosen agricultural ventures.

In a related development, the Commissioner announced an extension of the deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for managing the state’s recovered plantations. The new deadline is May 15, 2025, to allow broader investor participation.

“There’s a need to attract more credible and seasoned investors to manage the state’s agricultural assets,” he said, emphasizing a departure from the past “all-comers” approach to one focused on serious, results-driven stakeholders.

Also present at the briefing were Commissioner for Petroleum, Professor Joel Ogbonna; Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze; Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma; and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.