Not Ruga: 9,000 hectares of Land request; Cross River Gov't clears Misconstrued report, says its world bank assisted farm project

CROSS RIVER GOVT PROVIDE EXPLANATION TO THE MISCONSTRUED 9,000 LAND REQUEST, SAYS ITS A WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROJECT TO CREATE FARM CITIES ALONG AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN

The whole project is purely a World 🌎 Bank Assisted Project called Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Improvements in Livelihood Support (APPEALS) Project with counterpart support from the State Government.

Only 6 States in Nigeria were chosen on merit based on their performance index in previous World 🌎 Bank supported projects.

They include; Cross River, Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Enugu and Kaduna.

The project is purely a World 🌎 Bank Grant to support farming in Cross River State. Ayade added poultry to his main value chain which is Rice and Cocoa.

Therefore, the major value chain in the state and their locations are;

1. Rice cultivation and processing in the Northern Senatorial District. 

2. Cocoa cultivation and processing in the Central Senatorial District.

3. Poultry and processing  in the Southern Senatorial District.

For this project, the State's counterpart contributions is in the area of land acquisition, clearing, housing units, including some infrastructure like solar power, storages, water treatment and water reticulation, clinic, school in the respective farm cities while the bank will also complement the farm city and aggregation centre by carrying out land preparation, solar power, Road infrastructure, technical support, seedlings and direct support to women and children etc.

The States stand to benefit between *5 - 9 Billion Naira* depending on its counterpart support in terms of hectares of land and the number of youths and women whom will be employed through the scheme to enhance their livelihood/improvement.

Cross River State Rice seeds and seedlings factory Calabar, the Rice Processing Mill in Ogoja/Yala, the Cocoa Processing Plant in Ikom and the feed mill poultry project including calachika has received the applause of the World 🌎 Bank as a model for all States to follow.

Hence, 3,000hectares of land is being requested in each senatorial district with at least 150-200hectares from every LGA to donate and key into the project.

NOTE:
The farming activities is only for indigene of the LGAs and no stranger is allowed to farm in any farm city outside his LGA.

THIS IS THE REASON WHY A COMMITTEE WAS SETUP TO GO ROUND THE LGAs FOR SENSITIZATION

Finally, the entire project aligns with the State Government’s Economic Policy direction of Food on the table & HANDS ON THE PLOUGH.