Some farmers at work in one of the farms.
By Anietie Akpan
THE Executive Chairman of Yala Local Government Area (LGA), Dr Fred Okem has attracted Project Grow high yielding farms to Wodah, Ijegwu and Council headquartres, Okpoma.
This is coming even as most LGAs in the state have showed less interest in the Project Grow programme which is an agricultural development initiative of the Cross River State Government under Governor Bassey Otu, aimed at transforming the state’s agricultural sector through cultivation of high yielding crops to boost food production and improving livelihoods.
A release at weekend by the Chief Press Secretary to the Yala Council Chairman, Emma Una, said the Project Grow farm at Wodah and Ijegwu cultivated high yielding maize and soya beans while at the council headquartres at Okpoma, only maize is being cultivated.
Speaking on the hecterage of each farm, the Credit and Risk Officer for Project Grow, Mr Bassey Asuquo, said the Yala LGA Chairman, Dr Okem showed special interest and commitment on the Project berthing in the local government area and made sacrifices to attract the 2025 crop season to Yala Local Government Area.
“The farm at Wodah was initially not meant for Yala but some chairmen whom the farm was meant for were not keen on providing land for the project but Dr Okem showed keen interest and readily provided land and facilitated the transportation of the inputs to the farms and even provided additional land at the council headquartres for more cultivation”
Asuquo said, 50 hectres have been cultivated in Wodah and Ijegwu while at the council headquartres, 10 hectres are being cultivated.
Tractor at work in one of the farms.
“We have off -takers in the form of industries that would buy the harvest once ready. These seedlings, both maize and soya beans have a fast production period and within a short period would be ready for harvest ”
He said the inputs are wholly supplied by Project Grow in Calabar and brought to Yala for cultivation.
“We provide the inputs: seedings, fertilizer, herbicide and cultivation of the land. The farmers are been given portions from the cultivated land to plant the crops’.
He said that the scope and size of the farms would be expanded in the next cropping season since the Council Chairman is ready and willing to provide more land and the enabling environment for the farms.
Project Grow focuses on key value chains like rice, maize, aquaculture, cassava, and animal fodder and uses a market-driven approach with a focus on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and access to credit and markets.
The project’s goal is to empower over 100,000 smallholder farmers and agribusinesses.
