Cross River leading agro industrial revolution in Nigeria – Ayade

Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade has said that his administration intends to flood Nigerian market with assorted foods especially high nutrient rice. 

Speaking in Calabar, he said, he will not only make his state the food basket and insure it against scarcity but will also boost people’s interest in agriculture.

He made the explanation while fielding questions from newsmen after a tour of the Cross River Seeds and Seedlings Factory in Calabar on Monday.

He explained that a new vista in agricultural value chain is unfolding in the state with his government’s emphasis in Agro- Industrialisation. 

He said the  massive agro- industrial transformation has never before seen in Nigeria before as another set of agriculture machines from John Deere of the United States of America have since arrived at the rice seedling factory.

“We are set to ensure food security in the state with the massive investments so far in the agric sector which has never happened before in the state. 

“Cross River has embarked on massive Agro- Industrialisation transformation which is the only way  to go and it is the first level of Industrialization. 

“In industrial revolution, it must be agro- industrial because  it is the only system that guarantees massive recruitment of people, massive production and ultimate beneficiation of raw materials which means you take raw materials like cocoa and process it until you get chocolate,” the governor said. 

Sir Ayade expressed his desire to get Cross River youths gainfully employed through Agro-industrialisation, saying 90 percent of the industries he has established in the state are agro- based, adding that the needed machines were now in the state. 

“We have taken delivery of four major equipment out of the total of 32 ordered. Cross RiverSstate is introducing a new thinking, consistent with best world practice that farmers don’t have responsibility for agricultural infrastructure.  

Agricultural infrastructure is the responsibility of government.   Farmers are only to nurture and tender their farms while the responsibility of infrastructure and utility become that of government. 

“If you have to sweat in Cross River, you don’t sweat because you are tilling the soil, you sweat because of pleasure because machines will be doing your job.” “The agro-industrial revolution which started in 1876 in Britain is about to start in Nigeria and Cross River state is leading Africa towards our own self-sustenance in terms of the entire agricultural value chain,’’ he said. 

DAILY TRUST