The Enugu State Government has reassured farmers in the state of sustained support through mechanization, farm input distribution, and land security as part of efforts to boost food production, tackle unemployment, and eradicate hunger in the state.
Governor Peter Mbah gave the assurance on Thursday during the 2025 World Food Day celebration held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization in Enugu.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, recalled that last year, his administration distributed over 12,000 bags of fertilizer, power tillers, rice seedlings, cassava stems, and other inputs to smallholder farmers.
He noted that more than 40,000 farmers are already benefiting this year from free inputs including fertilizers, improved seeds, cassava stems, and herbicides.
The governor outlined his administration’s ambitious agricultural programme, which includes the establishment of farm estates in every ward, provision of healthcare facilities for farmers, and deployment of 1,000 tractors through the Enugu State Notra Assembly and Service Centre.
“We are embracing climate-smart production and value addition, establishing greenhouse clusters for year-round cultivation with water-saving technologies. We are also rehabilitating strategic assets such as Enugu United Palm Products Ltd., Sunrise Flour Mills, and Songhai Heneke Integrated Farm to serve as modern hubs for processing and marketing,” Mbah said.
He added that the state is pursuing diversification and export readiness through cocoa development, cassava-to-bioethanol projects, livestock expansion, and Special Agro-Processing Zones, stressing that agricultural growth must go hand in hand with human development.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Mr. Patrick Ubru, in his remarks, said this year’s theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,” highlighted the role of collective effort in achieving food security.
“Food is foundational – it sustains health, fuels productivity, and strengthens communities. That is why our strategy focuses on land access, mechanization, market linkages, value addition, climate resilience, and strong partnerships. Looking ahead, we will roll out farm estates across all wards, scale climate-smart farming, and sustain input support,” Ubru said.
Also speaking, the chief executive officer of Ugwu Anama Farms, Alhaji Sani Friday Nnaji, praised the governor’s agricultural reforms, noting that through government support, his company was allocated 15,000 hectares of land that has since been developed into Enugu Produce City.
According to him, the initiative has created thousands of jobs for young people, stabilized food prices in the state, and converted former criminal hideouts into thriving agricultural hubs.
“Through our farm, we supply cassava stems across the state. What used to be criminal hideouts are now bustling agricultural centres. Today, Enugu is not just feeding itself but exporting produce, earning foreign exchange, and fighting insecurity through agriculture. What the governor is doing is transformative, and future generations will celebrate it,” Nnaji said.