Abia plans farm centres in 17 councils

GOVERNOR Theophilus Orji of Abia State has taken steps to boost agriculture and create jobs for residents by setting up farm settlements in the 17 local councils of the state.The project would be executed through a N1 billion loan, which the state is sourcing from the agricultural fund created by the Federal Government.Orji, who signedthe Irrevocable Standard Payment Order (ISOP) to pave way for the state to access the loan for on-lending to farmers, said the settlements to be known as Liberation Farms, would engage 5,000 youths.At a farmers' sensitisation forum/workshop organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in Umuahia, the governor said genuine farmers with verifiable and bankable production plans would benefit from the loan.He said the state had consistently paid its counterpart funds for the development-driven programmes such as FADAMA 111, Federal Government-Niger Development Commission (NDDC) community projects.
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