Yemisi Izuora
Anambra State government is deepening its partnership with farmers to further strategise on measures geared toward making the state “the food basket of the nation’’.
Governor Willie Obiano said this during a meeting with rice farmers at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.
The farmers across the Rice Value Chain were gathered from the 21 Local Government Areas within the state for the crucial meeting.
The governor, while briefing them said his vision was to boost rice yield per hectare, so as to add to the rice production capacity of the state.
He noted that his administrations’ “vision remains to produce more commercial quantity to supersede consumption capacity.
“Anambra is on the verge of exporting rice, in addition to other vegetables it had already started exporting, as it will boost job creation and revenue generation.
“The state government intends to realise this through the provision of high-yielding varieties, assisting in bringing in more people into rice production and helping with land clearing.’’
Obiano added that said his government had evolved plans to phase out local millers.
“This can only be done when an agreement has been brokered between the local producers and the mechanised millers on the standard price for off take of paddy.’’