Over 60,000 farmers across Enugu State are set to benefit from a new round of free fertilizer and agro-inputs distribution as Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, weekend, flagged off the exercise on Saturday.
The event, attended by thousands of farmers and stakeholders at the Okpara Square, was described as another bold step towards food security, poverty eradication, rural prosperity, and the transformation of farming into profitable venture in the state.
Governor Mbah, who recalled that his administration had distributed 12,000 bags of fertilizer alongside power tillers, seedlings, cassava stems, and herbicides at no cost to farmers last year, said the 2024 intervention had led to bumper harvests and reduced food prices across the state.
“Therefore, it gives me great joy to be here today to flag-off the distribution of over 40,000 bags of free fertilizers and other agro inputs.
“Our farmers are the backbone of our communities – the hands that till the soil and bring food to our tables. Without you, there is no sustenance, no prosperity, and no growth,” he said.
The governor announced that 200-hectare Farm Estates were being established in each of the 260 political wards in the state, complete with irrigation systems, warehouses, tractor sheds, and power supply.
He revealed that 102 tractors had already been delivered, another 98 on the way, while 800 more would soon be assembled at the tractor plant nearing completion in the state capital.
“Farming is big business. That is why we are upgrading the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, into a University of Agriculture to train the next generation of agricultural scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators,” Mbah added.
