NIGERIA – The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated the rehabilitated 35-hectare Achara-Ubo Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate in Imo State, earmarked to engage about 1,000 individuals in the project.

The rehabilitated farm estate, which was abandoned for about 30 years, now has six poultry houses with 18 pens that contain about 15,000 birds, three goat houses with 196 goats and three houses for pigs containing 108 pigs.

The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, also revealed that the farm is fashioned with three solar-powered boreholes, roads, drainage and solar-powered street lights.

The project was in line with the vision of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to create jobs for the youth and women and ensure food security.

“Achara-Ubo farm is expected to take in 600 farmers, the processing and packaging section will soon start and will take in additional 200 people. The crop section is also set to start because we have provided the tractors.

“This farm was abandoned for 30 solid years and NALDA took over and developed it. The direct engagement is about 600 farmers into the poultry, piggery and goat sections and an additional 200 farmers into the processing, packaging and export,” said Ikonne.

Ikonne further highlighted that NALDA was partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria to give financial support to beneficiaries of the project, adding that the fund would enable them to set up their various farms.

The Achara-Ubo Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate is not the first farm that the government of Nigeria has rehabilitated and put under beneficial use.

As part of its drive to attain self sufficiency in milk production, the government through the Central Bank of Nigeria partnered with leading dairy industry players to undertake massive infrastructural developments of facilities at the 31,000 hectares Bobi Grazing Reserve in Niger State.

The parties who were apportioned land at the property, and currently are undertaking development projects which are at different stages include Friesland Campina WAMCO, Neon Agro, Chi Limited and Irish Dairy.

Meanwhile in Ekiti state, Promasidor Nigeria has invested US$5m to reactivate the moribund Ikun Dairy Farm.

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