By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra State, Dr. Ben Odoemena, has outlined the Ministry’s strategic plans to meet the Solution Agenda on agriculture in Anambra State. The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, had in the People’s Manifesto assured that “the agriculture sector will continue to be a major growth sector for the economy of Anambra State.” In line with the ambitious agricultural agenda of the Government, the Commissioner has outlined four strategic plans of the Ministry under his watch.
The first focus, according to Dr. Ben, is that the Ministry would intensify private sector engagement to drive investment. The idea is that agriculture must be approached as a business for enhanced productivity across the value chain. The second agenda is that the Ministry would scale up irrigation production. Emphasizing this, the Commissioner, Dr. Odoemena, noted that about 30% of the lands in Anambra have a nearby water body. Accordingly, he observed that Anambra tends to have a comparative advantage in fishery, which he said can become Anambra’s big break in agriculture. The third on the Ministry’s agenda is a competitive agricultural value chain. This directly speaks to the ambitious agricultural agenda of Governor Soludo, with a clear commitment to building Anambra State into an agricultural processing hub. The fourth and final agenda is the agricultural efficiency, delivery, and investment unit, which will ensure sustainability.
Speaking on some of the areas where Anambra can easily make its mark, the Commissioner pointed to oil palm, which he described as “the gold of the future.” Emphasizing, Dr. Odoemena said that “in the future, oil palm is the gold of the world. The international market is huge for oil.” He also highlighted cassava as an important crop that can put Anambra ahead as an agro powerhouse. “Cassava is huge,” he said. Furthermore, he identified poultry as one of the aspects of agriculture that can be easily scaled to give Anambra an edge in the sector. However, the Commissioner regrets that people are in a hurry when it comes to the business of agriculture. “People are in a hurry. We have empty lands everywhere, yet people are hungry.” Notwithstanding, he is hopeful that Anambra will take its full place in agriculture beyond Nigeria.
About 60% of the Anambra population engages in smallholder farming, he revealed. Reflecting on this, Dr. Ben said, “I am confident we will do well”.
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