Transforming Agriculture: Gov. Otu's Sustainable Roadmap
Upon assuming office, Governor Bassey Otu initiated a robust agricultural roadmap aimed at creating wealth and employment for Cross Riverians as well as transitioning the agricultural sector from subsistence farming to a model that promotes commercial expansion and private sector engagement.
Leveraging over 20,156 square km of landmass in the State and notably the largest in the South South region of Nigeria, Governor Otu laid the groundwork for an enhanced agricultural productivity by conducting a comprehensive soil fertility test across the state. The soil fertility map provides accurate data on which crops will have bountiful yield in specific soil types and locations. This ensures that farmers have the necessary information to take the right decision on crop selection and precise cultivation location to maximize agricultural productivity throughout the state.
Upon completion of the soil fertility survey, Cross River State became the first in the country to develop a digital soil map, paving the way for a more informed and profitable farming practice.
Following this achievement, major reforms were implemented to position agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation. Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Governor Otu has begun rolling out agricultural programs designed to create wealth for Cross Riverians. These programs are divided into two primary categories: interventions and policy development, each tailored to address specific challenges and leverage opportunities within the agricultural sector.
A cornerstone of Otu's efforts under the "intervention programme" is the Cross River State Smallholder Development Program, designed as a series of projects to upscale productivity of smallholder farmers which includes; the CRS Smallholder Tractor Scheme; through this scheme 106 30hp mini tractors have been procured and will be distributed to farmers' cooperatives at subsidized rates. The mini tractors, equipped with five essential implements, harrow, disc plough, ridger, seed planter and 1 ton trailer bucket. They are compact, durable, fuel efficient and highly adaptable to small holder farming.
In farming, land preparation and cultivation are usually the most tedious and expensive phases. The objective of the tractor scheme is to create a pool of tractor service providers, tailored to the meet land preparation for various farming value chain.
Under The Cross River State Commercial Agriculture Development Program, the State government has introduced a novel initiative to ensure smallholder farmers upscale to commercial scale, unlocking the state’s agricultural potential.
One of the most pressing challenges facing agricultural productivity and expansion is the lack of access to funding.
Therefore, the innovative Project Grow was introduced: This initiative is a six-year, N30 billion digitally enabled commercial agriculture credit guarantee scheme. It seeks to unlock access to finance and markets, effectively addressing critical barriers to agricultural productivity. By facilitating agricultural financing, farmers will scale their operations and promote commercial agriculture.
A key focus of this initiative is to support unemployed youth and women in the State, who are encouraged to take advantage of the scheme’s financial access to create wealth through agriculture.
Over the years, Flour Mills PLC has invested hundreds of billions in importing large quantities of cereals for its diverse product range. This represents a multi-billion naira opportunity that Cross Riverians have failed to capitalize on over the past decade.
Earlier this year, project grow secured an off-take agreement with Flour Mills PLC to supply 20,000 MT of maize and soya beans, catalyzing economic activities across the state and providing numerous direct and indirect opportunities to unemployed youths, women and farmers.
Additionally, the CRS Smallholder Farm Input Support Project has provided fertilizers, seeds, herbicides, and pesticides to farmers. The ministry has also distributed 8,000 bags of NPK fertilizers, 220 bags of cowpea seeds and hybrid coffee seedlings, supporting increased agricultural output. The ministry has also launched the Cross River State Smallholder Cocoa Allocation Scheme, allocating 3,400 hectares of cocoa farmland to smallholder farmers to boost productivity in the cocoa sector as well as the distribution of sprouted Oil Palm nuts to farmers.
The policy development category with policies such as the Cassava Value Chain Policy, 7 year strategic plan for Cocoa, Coffee and Oil Palm Policy. The Homestead Farming Programme which empowers families to engage in micro-agriculture within their residence, will be highlighted next week.
As Cross River State continues to break new grounds in agriculture, particularly with access to financing for Agriculture through the project Grow Credit Scheme, both employed and unemployed youths are encouraged to seize the opportunities within the agricultural sector to make wealth as Gov. Bassey Otu continues paving the way to a prosperous future
Nathaniel Otaba is the Senior Special Assistant on Communication
