The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has said that the agency would engage at least 3,000 youths in Ebonyi State in its proposed integrated farm estate in the State.
The integrated farm estate will be completed and commissioned by October this year.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Prince Paul Ikonne, who announced this Tuesday, said the proposed integrated farm estate would be established in 104 hectares of land donated by the state government.
Prince Ikonne, who was also in Ebonyi State on Monday for a courtesy visit to the governor, Engr David Umahi, said that the integrated farm estate would be completed by October 2021.
“We have seen that the Governor has keyed into Mr President’s agenda of achieving food security in the country.
“We are establishing an integrated farm estate in Ebonyi like we are doing in other States.
“The scheme will engage young Nigerians and make agriculture more attractive to them.
“This is the mandate of Mr President, that we should reactivate abandoned farm estates and develop new ones for food security. The Governor of Ebonyi State is eager and in a hurry for us to achieve food security.
“He is in total support of achieving Mr President’s vision and resolving herdsmen/farmers crisis. So, Ebonyi State is committed to working with NALDA to engage the teeming youths into full agricultural productivity.”
The governor, however, requested that NALDA should consider the production of fingerlings and poultry in its proposed integrated farm estate, adding that 90 per cent of the State’s poultry needs are imported from Abia and Cross River States.
