Enugu Gov Mbah Unveils Plan to Boost Economy with 63,000 Bags of Farm Inputs

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Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has unveiled a massive farm input distribution plan aimed at transforming the state's economy. The governor has promised to give 63,000 smallholder farmers in the state 63,000 bags of fertilizers, seeds, and agrochemicals. This is part of the state's effort to boost agriculture and make Enugu a $30 billion economy.

Governor Mbah said the plan was part of his administration's commitment to eradicating poverty and creating jobs for the people of Enugu state. He noted that 40% of the growth would come from agriculture, and to achieve this, his administration had been providing support to farmers to improve their yields. The governor also announced plans to migrate smallholder farmers from subsistence farming to mechanized farming. 'We have done this in the last three years, essentially providing fertilizers, agrochemicals, stems, seeds, and seedlings to improve our yields. Today, we have 63,000 bags of fertilizers. We have to train our farmers,' Mbah said.

The distribution plan includes a significant increase in the number of bags of fertilizers compared to last year. The commissioner for agriculture and agro-industrialization, Patrick Ubru, announced a 58% increase in the number of bags of fertilizers, improved seeds, and chemicals from 40,000 last year to 63,000 this year. The state government has also established a modern Seed Testing Laboratory and Seed Gallery, digitally profiled over 84,000 farmers, and integrated agricultural data into the state's Geographic Information System (GIS).

Enugu state has been experiencing economic challenges, and the government hopes that the agriculture sector will help turn things around. The government has also been working on other initiatives such as the 260 Farm Estate Programme and the establishment of a tractor assembly plant to make mechanization more accessible. The state government has also been providing training to farmers in climate-smart agriculture and providing seasonal climate prediction information through the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

Governor Mbah called on the responsible officials to ensure that the inputs are distributed to the farmers without any hitches and warned against selling the inputs. 'We are working with our database. We are also going to implore all our stakeholders, the Local Government Chairmen, and the priests in the various communities to make sure that these inputs get to the end users, free of charge,' he said. The governor also asked the farmers to make use of the inputs to improve their yields and to help the state achieve the target of becoming a $30 billion economy.

The distribution of the farm inputs is expected to boost agriculture in the state and help in the economic development of the state. The state government hopes that the initiative will help in reducing the cost of food in the state and make it more competitive.