Abia State government has launched its Abia Rice brand into the market for the celebration of the Yuletide with a pledge to flood the entire Nigerian markets come 2017.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, while launching the rice, said the production was sequel to the promise of his administration to achieve food security for Abians and also make Abia a foremost and leading state in all areas of agriculture in Nigeria.
The governor, who spoke through Uzo Azubuike, the state commissioner for agriculture, said in no distant time Abia would be the number in poultry farm, major player in rice production and the largest producer of palm oil in the country.
He however noted that though all these seemed impossible to accomplish but the state had opened a new chapter in agriculture, and urged the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture to be more dedicated to their duties.
He said in the face of the prevalent recession in the country, the agric ministry was achieving the vision of his administration.
The Abia governor therefore urged Abians to patronise the products of the ministry, as the prices had been made affordable for all.
The governor, who revealed that the production of the Abia rice was in collaboration with FADAMA 111, said arrangement had been concluded for poultry villages to be sited in each of the three senatorial zones of the state.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture had established a 7,500 capacity modern poultry layer farm at its headquarters in Umuahia, which is made up of 25,000 layers for egg production and 500 layers, adding that his administration had equally established a poultry processing plant at Umuosu in Isiala Ngwa North of the state.
On display during the ceremony were: chicks, eggs, catfish and the Abia rice for members of the public to buy at affordable prices.
