Paul Ikonne, the Executive Secretary of the National Land Development Authority (NALDA), says the establishment of 109 farm estates by President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime differs from RUGA and herders’ ranches.

Mr Buhari directed NALDA to establish integrated farm estates in all the 109 senatorial districts to boost food production.

Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, had in a statement by its spokesman, Jare Ajayi, allegedly accused the regime of attempting to bring back the rejected cattle colony and RUGA through the establishment of the farm estates.

”Well, it is unfortunate. It’s not another type or anything that has to do with Ruga. The Integrated Farm Estate, the president, mandated us to put it in all the 109 Senatorial Districts,” said the NALDA boss, who spoke to State House correspondents at Owerri International Cargo Airport on Friday. ”After commissioning that of Daura, meaning he saw the productive nature, the impact that project will make. The project is meant for the community, to develop the community. What we have inside is poultry, fishery and for those who are doing piggery – piggery.”

He stated that comparing the farm estates to RUGA or cattle ranches “is meant to mislead people as a result of lack of understanding, so to say.”

He explained that the integrated farm estate was designed to accommodate youths to engage in the “entire agricultural value chain.”

“It depends on what the community is known for and what the community is interested in going into. Some states are getting poultry, cows, like in the North; in the South, like Abia, they are doing fishery and rabbit rearing,” Mr Ikonne said. “In Oyo, we already have rabbit rearing and crop farming. In Ekiti state as well, we have crop farming. So it depends on the environment, and it has nothing to do with RUGA at all. It’s purely for development, and to engage the youths and for the benefit of the immediate community. That is what the integrated farming estate stands for.”

(NAN)