The Abia State Agricultural Development Program (ADP) has purchased improved varieties of maize seeds, agro-chemicals and other farm inputs to assist farmers in the state.
The state’s ADP manager Israel Amanze, disclosed this at the flag-off of planting for the ADP Anchor Borrowers 2020 cropping season, noting that the new variety would provide farmers in the state with fresh maize within 60-70 days of planting.
Facilitated by Abia’s ADP in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAN), the initiative was devised to improve the productivity of farmers in the state.
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The program is aims to increase food production for rural dwellers and raise the income level of small- scale farmers through the provision of improved seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, credit facilities and infrastructural facilities.
Amanze stated that 4,000 maize farmers were registered in the state CBN- MAN Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) and that extension agents had been deployed all over the state to give technical assistance to the farmers.
The ADP director of technical service for the state, Nnenna Uche, said that ABP’s provision of improved maize seeds, would enable farmers to plant maize three times within one year, and described the development as the first of its kind in the state.
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Chairman of the state CBN- MAN Anchor Borrowers Program, Onyekachi Erondu, revealed that 187 maize farmers were already benefitting from the programme and envisaged that more than 3,000 would benefit before the end of the year.
He commended the Gov.ernor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the state ADP and the CBN for supporting the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAN) into carrying out the project in Abiathe state.
