The Federal Government has approved the construction of silos in Abia for the preservation of farm produce in the state, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ike Onyenweaku, has said.

Mr. Onyenweaku said this on Monday in an interview in Umuahia. 

He also said he had a recent state-wide tour to sensitise farmers on the need to cue into the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

“I told rural farmers that the state government had accessed the N1 billion agricultural loans which are meant to enhance availability of food in the state.

“The loan would be disbursed in a fort-night and I urge the farmers to key into the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the current administration for the benefit of posterity.”

The construction of silos in Abia state will help preserve the farmers hard work and allay the fears of losing their earnings and produce due to lack of storage facilities.

The farmers had in the past, recounted how they lost millions of naira as a result of wastages of farm produce.

Milas Mpama, one of the affected farmers, said that the situation had discouraged them from venturing into commercial farming.

However, Mr. Onyenweaku said that arrangements had been concluded to place modern silos in Ikwuano local government area of the state.  “Apart from the silos currently under construction in Okigwe, Imo state, the Federal Government has also concluded arrangements to site many silos for famers in Abia,” he said.

Mr. Onyenweaku said the state government, on its own, had attracted three different factories that would buy up farm produce and turn them into finished products. He said that the factories would be sited in each of the three zones of the state.

“We are equally setting up garri processing factories in the state. The factories will have the capacity of producing 230 tons of garri per day.”

Mr. Onyenweaku urged farmers to use the opportunity to improve theirconditions as well as increase their output.

“It is no longer business as usual because the state government is ready.”