The Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Afam Mbanefo, said on Monday that the state has reached self-sufficiency in rice production.
Mr. Mbanefo made the disclosure at a Commodity Alliance Forum/Consultative meeting organized by the state Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Awka.
The commissioner recalled that the state government had earlier targeted production of 210,000 metric tons of rice per annum.
“Based on the calculation of our expected yield, we are expecting to realize over 236,000 metric tons of rice in 2016 based on the production capacity.”
Mr. Mbanefo said the calculation was based on expected yield of 35 per cent of over 14,300 farmers and the activities of programs like the VCDP and FADAMA.
He said the expected yield also included the activities of rice investors in the state, including Coscharis farms, Joseph Agro, and others.
He said the state government was passionate about revolutionizing agriculture and making it wealth creator, especially for unemployed youth willing to venture into the sector.
