Enugu Govt partners ATASP-1 for extensive dry season rice farming – Commissioner

The Enugu State Government has declared its readiness to partner with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase-One (ATASP-1) to actualise dry season rice farming at Ada Rice Irrigation Project Scheme. The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing Ada Rice farmers at Uwelu-Akpa Hall in Adani community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Ubru addressed the farmers during his inspection tour of ongoing economic projects under ATASP-1 in the area. The commissioner, who was impressed by what he saw during the tour, described ATASP-1 as an important partner in the vision of Gov. Peter Mbah for agricultural rebirth and transformation in Enugu State. According to him, this vision is summed up in Gov. Mbah’s agricultural mantra, which is “Food for Ndi Enugu and making Enugu State a Food Basket for Nigeria, a Hub for Export of Cash Crops and Eliminating Poverty by 2031”. He stressed that Mbah’s administration was committed to the take off of dry season rice farming next season in a grand style. “On behalf of my people, we say thank you to ATASP-1 for their intervention projects and programmes in innovative agriculture in Enugu State. “What we are telling you is that we are ready for dry season (rice) farming at Uzo-Uwani LGA. “We are ready to attract investors like Alhaji Sani who came all the way from the North to invest here. We want more investors to come into agriculture in Enugu State,” he said. Earlier, the commissioner’s team visited Adani Rice Market where ATASP-1 built an ultra-modern market and interacted with some traders on how to make good use of the facility. During the interaction, the traders had identified lack of access ramps as part of their reasons for not relocating to the newly-constructed market and making effective use of it for more than two years after it was commissioned for use. The commissioner had assured that he was ready to discuss further with ATASP-1 zonal management to address the issues they raised so they can begin to make effective use of the market. Some other landmark ATASP–1 project sites visited by the commissioner and other stakeholders included the Two-Span Obinna Bridge which provides a link to the Ada Rice Irrigation Farm area. The team also visited canal lining site and farm roads being constructed under ATASP-1 to facilitate dry season farming and free movement of farm produce in the area. The commissioner was accompanied on the site visit by ATASP-1 national and zonal officials, led by the Zonal Programme Coordinator, Dr Romanus Egba, as well as the Chairman, Enugu State House Committee on Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Hon. Ejike Eze. Others in the commissioner’s team are Mr Dubem Onyia, SPA to Enugu Government on Donor Relations, as well as top officials of Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and a seasoned rice farmer and investor, Alhaji Sani Nnamani, among others.