By Oluwakemi Kindness
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) says its new agricultural project in Enugu will create opportunities for smallholder farmers and young people while strengthening food production in the region.
The Commission made this known as it flagged off its South East Agro-Development Programme with the development of a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unataeze in Nkanu East Local Government Area.
SEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Okoye, said the project is designed to connect farmers with inputs, technology, mechanisation, training, processing and markets.
Okoye said the project would initially bring about 300 smallholder farming households within a 10-kilometre radius into the out-grower programme.
He said participating farmers would have access to inputs, technical assistance and mechanisation services, while the farm would provide opportunities for aggregation and market access.
According to SEDC, the project is expected to accommodate between 100 and 120 trainees at a time, providing practical training in dairy farming, poultry, fisheries, fodder production and farm mechanisation.
The Commission also projected that the farm could support more than 1,000 direct jobs when fully operational, with additional opportunities expected through seasonal agricultural activities and the wider out-grower network.
Okoye said the project’s real impact would be measured by what happens beyond the 200-hectare site, including young people gaining practical skills and farmers increasing production and gaining access to reliable markets.
The Enugu State Government, represented by Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, said the project would help create jobs, develop skills, support farmers and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
SEDC Chairman, Dr. Emeka Wogu, said the Nomeh project would serve as a pilot for wider agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions across the five South-East states.
The project will combine dairy, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, greenhouse farming, processing, mechanisation, renewable energy and agricultural training.
