The Federal government has procured Agricultural produce processing machines worth six hundred and forty three million and five hundred Naira for farmers in the South East Zone.

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, Hon. Linus Okorie disclosed this during an inspection of some of the equipment at Regional Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Enugu.

Okorie representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal constituency noted that the machines were attracted by him, stressing that the House Committee under his chairmanship was determined to ensuring that Federal government’s policies on food security were actualized.

The machines packed at the Ministry’s office in Abakaliki and its Regional office in Enugu include five tractors, ten units of palm oil processing plant, Hammer mill used in yam , banana and plantain processing, eleven units of cassava processing plants Hydrolic Presser, Cashew processor and Electric kettle.

He noted that apart from the machines which were aimed at stepping up Agricultural Produce Value Chain Businesses in the South East Zone, the Committee had also sent a new crop called Jatrufa to the area.

The South East Regional Director Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Nnamdi Ibezim commended Lawmaker for ensuring that the machines were delivered and assured him that they would be equitably distributed.

Okorie emphasized that he had also used his position as the chairman of the committee to attract ongoing reconstruction of Erueru and Umubo Bridges along Okposi-Onicha-Isu-Nara Road while the construction of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre as well as ICT Training facility in Onicha had commenced.

Explaining the design of the Bridges being constructed along Okposi, Onicha Isu, Nara Road, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency Engineer in Ebonyi State, Mrs Eberechukwu Ogbuagu explained that the projects were approved because of the hardship which members of the communities were facing.

FG To Create 1m Jobs Through Eggs Production, Processing, Sale — Minister

The Federal Government said on Tuesday egg production, processing and marketing could create no fewer than one million jobs through its National Eggs Production (NEGPRO) Scheme.

Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made this known in Abuja at a meeting with the Technical Committee on National Egg Production.

Ogbeh expressed optimism that the country would be self-sufficient in egg production through the scheme, by which poultry value chain would be developed across the 36 states of the country including FCT.

The minister said the scheme would be inaugurated in Ondo State and subsequently in other states of the country.

“The ministry will work with the committee and with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), we will achieve the goal of the scheme.

“Unless we deal with the problem of food, Africa cannot survive,’’ he said.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Toyin Taiwo, said in a document that the scheme was aimed at strengthening egg production, processing and consumption in the country.

Taiwo, who is also the Director, Animal Husbandry in the ministry, said the scheme would help diversify the economy and increase the contribution of agriculture to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“The scheme is for the period of five years and at full operation nationwide, it is expected to provide about 50 million table eggs daily for local consumption, export, processing into egg powder for use in confectioneries and pharmaceuticals,’’ he said.

Chief Tunde Badmus, the Chairman of Tuns Farms Limited and National Anchor of the scheme, said that farmers would be given loans by the CBN to kick start egg production across the country after the flag off of the programme in states.

He listed the facilitators of the scheme to include Bank of Agriculture, the Poultry Association of Nigeria, CBN and the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tuns farms to develop the scheme to improve nutrition and egg production across the country. (NAN)