Governor Alia’s Agricultural Strides

The Microsoft Founder, Bill Gates, in reference to food security said, “innovations that are guided by smallholder farmers, adapted to local circumstances and sustainable for the economy and environment will be necessary to ensure food security in the future”. The giant strides being recorded in the agricultural sector by the Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia led administration, reaffirms these thoughts. Nigeria is at the moment going through major food sufficiency challenges that presents societal problems such as hunger, criminality and insecurity and Benue with her huge agricultural prospects with 80% of its population in Agriculture, readily presents great potentials to turn things around for better.

Bearing this in mind, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia who has constantly maintained that Benue should be feeding the rest of the country and Africa at large, has rolled up his sleeves to ensure that this enormous responsibility does not elude him. Failure is not an option. Excuses are not allowed.

A glance at Benue’s Agricultural potential shows that the state with its 34 square kilometres land mass and an Estimated population of 7 million people with Over 80% of them forming the agricultural workforce, has 3 major Rivers, Benue, Katsina Ala, Buruku and many tributaries for irrigation that guarantees all year round farming. Benue has 28,000 square kilometres Reserved Farm land at Ber Agbum with 7sqare kilometres of Dams to guarantee farming irrigation and all year round farming. Benue is as a matter of fact a Mass producer of Tubers, Grains, Fruits and vegetables. It is the leading producer of yams, cassava and Soyabeans. As a matter of fact, the largest yam market is located in Zaki Biam, Benue North East Senatorial District. The state has rich Mineral Deposits with a Unique taste of farm produce, Fish and animals owing to the Rich soil of the Benue Value.

All these give credibility to its name as the Food Basket of the Nation, the Agricultural Hub of Africa and is Ready to feed the world

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia on the assumption of office developed the short term, mid term and long term agricultural development plans. In the immediate His Excellency has ensured that Agriculture Subsidy is provided for farmers each season. So far, there has been a timely Distribution of 900 metric tons of fertilizer at a 50% subsidized rate to farmers in the last two seasons (2023/2024) This is key to making food available at harvest to ensure food security in the state with a projection for surplus to meet Nigeria and Africa’s needs. As a matter of fact, the Benue State fertilizer blending and mixing plant has been handed over to Star Fertilizer Company Limited to ensure the availability of fertilizer inputs to farmers.

His Excellency has ensured the Payment of counterpart funding for effective implementation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for rice and cassava in Benue State. This is being implemented in 8 local government areas (Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Guma, Kwande, Logo, Ogbadibo, and Okpokwu). This is enhancing productivity, adding value to processing and marketing, and empowering youths. There is also an effective Collaboration with agricultural input suppliers to ensure availability of products and address the challenges of input scarcity and high prices for smallholder farmers with guaranteed improved seeds and seedlings. There has also been a Reactivation of the swine/crop integrated project, Yendev, a model pig farm meant to improve the performance of local breeds of pigs through artificial insemination (AI). This project is the first of its kind in West Africa.

Governor Alia, on behalf of the state has signed a groundbreaking collaboration/partnership with the French Development Agency on the Enhanced Agricultural and Rural Technical and Vocational Training (EART) meant to advance practical skills development in agriculture to address unemployment and drive economic growth in Benue State. To enhance information flow and dissemination in the agricultural sector, His Excellency has ensured the employment of 50 extension workers by HYPPADEC for effective extension delivery and there has been massive training of farmers on dry season and all year round farming including Participation of Benue State in the Federal Government 2023/2024 Dry Season Farming, all in an effort to take Benue beyond the threshold of regular wet season farming. This is key to boosting food production in the state. In the long run, plans are at an advanced stage to commence the dredging of River Benue through private partnership (PPP) arrangements. Of course the advantages of this are beyond agriculture.

The Alia led administration has also Paid the one-billion-naira counterpart funding that attracted 33 new tractors and three hundred million naira (N300,000,000) for farm cooperatives from the World Bank-funded project: Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) and as it stands, Benue State government under His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia is the first to institutionalise ACReSAL, giving it life even after the World Bank project is over.

Other very vital efforts being made by the Alia led administration to ensure food security includes:
a. Improved collaboration with Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi in order to tap and benefit from their numerous research findings.
b. Commencement of the reactivation of Agricultural Development Centre (ADC), a project that has been comatose for many years.
c. Commencement of phased development of Ikyogen Cattle Ranch.
d. Efforts to clear development land sites to enhance the cropping season.
e. Commencement of efforts to reactivate Mbatie and Otobi.
f. Collaboration with the National Forecast Water Fishery and sampling nets, hails, sinkers, and floats.
g. Renovation of three (3) concrete gigantic production tanks.
h. Renovation of six (6) concrete nursery tanks.
i. Successful completion of the 2nd cycle of the cadre harmonized food and nutrition insecurity analysis.
j. Establishment of plant nurseries and greenhouses in Otukpo, Makurdi and Vandeikya LGAs
l. Renovation and upgrading of Agricultural Produce Warehouses/Agro hubs across all 23LGAs
m. Distribution of solar powered irrigation pumps to farmer groups in Three senatorial districts.
n. Enhancing the activities of the Agro forestry centre for research at Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev and the college of Education Katsina Ala.
o. Introduction of the community revolving fund for farmers (CRF)
p. Formation of young farmer clubs to encourage more youth participation and sponsorship in agriculture.
q. Assisting small scale farmers through the Alia Cares scheme. Etc.

With all these and many more efforts, Benue is sure to deliver on its responsibility as the Food Basket of Nigeria, Agricultural Hub of Africa and Ready to feed the world under the watchful, deliberate, calculative, focused and dedicated eyes of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the executive governor of Benue state.