The Anambra government says it is striving to achieve industrialised agriculture to guarantee food sufficiency and create opportunities for export and foreign exchange earnings for farmers.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ben Odoemena, said this at the inauguration of Ideal Agro Allied Produce Limited on Wednesday in Awka.

The tuber crop processing company, located in Akwaeze, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, was established by an industrialist, Ikenna Okafor.

Mr Odoemena said that the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo was committed to supporting farmers to embrace and migrate to commercial and industrial-scale farming, as opposed to subsistence farming.

According to him, the establishment of the plant would eliminate incidents of post-harvest losses and create export opportunities for farmers.

He said, “With the establishment of a tuber crop processing plant, there will no longer be fear of unsold produce rotting away because it can now be processed and exported.”

He described the plant as a major step towards reducing post-harvest losses and promoting value addition in agriculture.

“I am happy that my first assignment after being sworn in is the inauguration of an agro-processing plant that will ensure zero wastage in tuber crops.

“What we have here reflects the secret of agriculture in developed economies.

“In Anambra, we want to support industries like this because Soludo’s administration has plans to support industrialised farming,” Mr Odoemena said.

He also said the state had moved beyond farming merely for consumption and now focused on cultivating, processing, and exporting agricultural products to create wealth.

He further explained that the government would continue to support agro-processing industries capable of driving agricultural transformation in the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of the company said that food security remained critical to the success of any society.

He disclosed that his company recently ventured into large-scale yam cultivation on a 200-plot farmland in Ufuma, Orumba North, and had already begun to earn foreign exchange from the venture.

He said the motivation for establishing the plant was to eliminate the wastage of unsold farm produce.

“The company will process unsold yams, potatoes, cassava, and other tuber crops for farmers, package them for export, and remit proceeds to the farmers after deducting processing and handling charges.

“We have secured approvals from food processing agencies in America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, as well as from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria.

“We will process farmers’ produce and ensure that no part is wasted.

“We also want to use this initiative to create employment opportunities and help farmers export their produce,” he said. 

(NAN)