The Cross River State Government has earmarked the sum of $7 million for the promotion of mechanised farming in the state.
The state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, made the disclosure on Wednesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Feed the Future Project between the state government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the executive council chamber of the Governor’s Office, Calabar.
Speaking at the event, Ayade said: “Everyone of us must own a farm and for those of you who are in my cabinet, you know Cross River has just released $7 million to a US firm to provide tractorisation, mechanisation, earth moving equipment and deforestation equipment for land clearing in preparation for the expansion of the rice production in Cross River State.
“So, if you can assist us with a consultant that can articulate all that we have done based on your own experience going from one factory to another, seeing clearly what we have done, it will give you an insight that truly, this is the most serious state you must focus on.”
Ayade, who assured Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) of availability of land, said: “Cross River has 23,000 square kilometres of arable land, and if you encounter any challenge, technology can address that and I know America is good in irrigation.
“We believe that we are well positioned by our technology, share size of our land mass, character and decency of our people coupled with the exposure that we have, education and integrity and love for strangers. So, we provide a perfect environment for CNFA to prove indeed that you are the right contractor selected to drive this process.
“So look nowhere any more because Cross River is the right place in Nigeria for you to demonstrate your competency.”
The contractor and chief of party, USAID, Dr. Adams Shafer, gave thumbs up to Ayade’s agricultural revolution, saying that the state is on the verge of becoming the epicentre in rice value chain in Africa.