Cross River Begins Cultivation Of 50,000 Hectares of Rice

The Cross River State governor, Bassey Out, has concluded plans to cultivate 50,000 hectares of rice to enhance food security in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Gov Otu disclosed this yesterday while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of a rice plantation project in Ogoja local government area of the state, marking a significant milestone in the state’s agricultural revitalisation effort.

Addressing a gathering crowd of locals who came enmasse in company of their community leaders, farmers and other stakeholders to witness the groundbreaking ceremony in Ogoja, Otu reaffirmed his government’s commitment towards ensuring that there is food security through agricultural initiatives.

The state chief executive pledged to collaborate with farmers and the private sector to maximise productivity to make the rice cultivation project a reality.

Otu stated that the government has plans to provide farmers with N150 million as funding, emphasising that farmers who are qualified to benefit from the credit facility scheme would be selected on the basis of catchment area.

“My commitment and assurance to every farmer here is that we are here to collaborate closely with you and ensure that all your needs are met,” he said.

He described rice, maize and cassava as topical crops for local consumption and export, stressing that the state government was interested in supporting farmers without any intention to grab land from communities that may have contributed their parcels of land for the rice project.