Ebonyi Council boss seeks more involvement in agriculture

The Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi, Mr Ogbonnaya Chukwu-Ude, has advised youths of the council area to key into the agricultural programme of the state government in order to boost the economy of the state.

Chukwu-Ude gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Isiaka, headquarters of Ivo Local Government Area.

According to him, the agricultural programme has led to the establishment of agro-based businesses in the state.

Chukwudi-Ude said that the council had distributed free assorted farm inputs to registered farmers to boost production, noting that his administration would replicate the state government’s agricultural development programme in the council area.

He said that the council is endowed with rich abundant arable land for rice, cassava and yam cultivation, and urged the youths to utilise the abundant rich green vegetation for massive food production.

He said apart from the traditional cultivation of rice, cassava, yam, among others, that youths could engage in, they could also engage in bee keeping, snail rearing, fish farming, horticulture, among others.

“With current economic recession resulting in daily job losses, high unemployment and general economic insecurity, agriculture presents a viable alternative for our youths especially the unemployed.

“The era of focusing on oil as the source of revenue and graduates roaming the streets for jobs are over, and this is why responsible governments are taking to other areas to improve their revenues, hence the revolution going on in the agricultural sector of the economy.

“We are calling on our youths to key into agriculture so as to benefit from the many incentives that the state government has introduced with a view to boosting agricultural yields.

“We are ready and committed to providing support and assistance to farmers through inputs and machinery.

“We recently distributed assorted types of fertiliser, including NPK and urea, improved rice seedlings, cassava stems, among others, to registered farmers,” Chukwu-Ude said.