Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Edo State Government has commenced the harvesting of more than 500 hectares of maize cultivated at the Udomi Farm in Esan Central Local Government Area as part of efforts to boost food production and strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain.
The large-scale harvest is part of the administration’s drive to improve food security, increase agricultural production and provide sustainable raw materials for industries, livestock producers and other agricultural businesses.
Speaking to journalists during an inspection of the farm, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Jerry Nwangue, said the development demonstrated the state’s capacity to produce food in commercial quantities for both domestic consumption and industrial use.
Nwangue said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo had shown strong commitment to agriculture, adding that the governor had consistently encouraged residents, particularly young people, to embrace farming.
He said the government’s agricultural intervention extended beyond the Udomi Farm, noting that several large-scale projects were ongoing across the state.
According to him, the administration has established a large cassava farm and a rice farm at the Ekpoma settlement, while rice and cassava production activities are also ongoing in Warake and Iguoriakhi.
“This is way bigger than what we saw last year. We are expanding. This is just one phase. What we are here today is something that has not been done before,” Nwangue said.
The commissioner described the governor’s approach to agriculture as “practical governance”, saying the administration was focused on taking concrete steps to increase food production and strengthen Edo’s agricultural economy.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Golden Ugbodu, described the scale of agricultural activities under the present administration as unprecedented in the state.
Ugbodu expressed optimism that sustained investment in agriculture and increased production would enable Edo to attain food sufficiency and contribute significantly to food production in Nigeria.
“This is the brain of Mr Governor. When he came, he said Edo must be food sufficient. We have never seen a massive farm like this before,” he said.
The Programme Manager of the Edo State Agricultural Development Programme, Princewill Igbinedion, said the current maize harvest represented an improvement on the previous year’s agricultural activities.
Igbinedion explained that the more than 500 hectares of maize would provide essential raw materials for livestock producers, particularly poultry farmers and other animal husbandry businesses.
The Director of Agricultural Services in the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture, Ugunbor David, described the cultivation and harvesting activities at the Udomi Farm as an example of mechanised agriculture.
The officials said the Udomi maize project formed part of the broader agricultural intervention of the Okpebholo administration aimed at transforming Edo State into a major food-producing hub.
