The Governor of Abia state, Mr Okezie Ikpeazu has raised concern over the rate of damage of gully erosion, saying there is the need for urgent intervention on the devastation of arable lands in the state.
Ikpeazu raised the concern when he received a delegation from the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), led by the Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne, at the Government House Umuahia, on a working visit to the state.
Governor Ikpeazu said the state was building cottage industries in the 17 local government areas, noting that it was also targeting to make the state a major food processing hub.
He said his administration was mainstreaming agriculture for two cardinal objectives, job creation and provision of raw materials and pledged to work with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA in critical areas that would ensure value addition.
The governor explained that the state was willing to partner with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority NALDA to make Ogwe Golden Chicken in Ukwa west local government area functional.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne noted that the mandate of the agency was to ensure availability of food, as it had rolled out two schemes, namely Back to Farm and National Young Farmers Scheme, which Abia had been selected among the pilot states.
Prince Ikonne expressed the readiness of the agency to partner with the state government to resuscitate Ogwe Golden Chicken Farm.
