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Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has disclosed that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP – Phase one) resonates with the state government’s move to innovatively transform agriculture in the state.
The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Chief Nwabueze Ugwu, stated this at the opening of ATASP-1 (Adani-Omor Zone) Steering Committee meeting in Enugu.
Mbah noted that the ATASP-1 programme had indeed brought transformation to the benefiting farmers in selected boundary communities in the two states – Anambra and Enugu. He urged youths and women in the communities to take advantage of the learning, improved seedlings, good pest control method and agricultural extension services within the programme.
“ATASP-1 is creating 21st century agricultural businesses in rural communities and providing sustainable employment and engagement of rural people especially our youths and women in Adani axis of Enugu State and Omor axis of Anambra State. It has led to reduced restiveness among youths in the rural areas and making them to be productively engaged,” he said.
He assured that the state government would continue to give necessary support to the programme, adding that it should be expanded to involve more rural people as beneficiaries. Zonal ATASP-1 (Adani and Omor) coordinator, Dr Romanus Egba, said the purpose of the meeting was to review what ATASP-1 had done in the zone within the first half of the year and beyond.
Egba said the meeting would also x-ray the achievements and challenges of the programme in delivery of its other initiatives apart from the farming especially community/rural projects such as rural roads, schools, hospitals and markets.
The programme, according to him, is already improving the socio-economic wellbeing, increasing investment in agriculture and improving food security within the two states. “We are striving to put up infrastructure for functional irrigational facilities for massive dry seasoning farming this year within the communities that are participating in the programme,” he said.
The Transitional Committee Chairman of Ayamulum in Anambra, Chief Livinus Onyenwe, said the programme had enhanced livelihood and engagement in the rural communities as well as transformed agricultural practices among the people.
(leadership.ng)
