Edo reps mull farm settlement to empower constituency 

As part of deliberate policy to diversify the economic base of the old Agbazillo people in Edo central senatorial district, Sergius Ogun, member representing Esan North- East/Esan South-East Federal Constituency has planned to establish two farm settlements in the constituency.

Agbazillo people are in the present day Esan North-East and Esan South- East local government areas.

BusinessDay reports that the federal lawmaker noted that the farms are geared towards addressing poverty, unemployment and food sufficiency in the constituency as well as the senatorial district.

Ogun made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay during his empowerment programme to the people of his constituency in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South- East local government area.

He noted that the two mechanized farms would when in operations will provide employment to hundred of youths in the constituency, improved agricultural activities, increase the economic and revenue base of farms among others.

He said the plans were to engage in the cultivation and processing of cassava into starch and glucose syrup for confectioneries markets within and outside the country.

“I have been to two farm settlements in the constituency for the purpose of establishing mechanized farming. With the farms we are going to provide food, create employment. The farms will be for the constituency. We have seen lands in places to engage in food crops cultivation and production where we have the comparative advantages over our other neighbouring communities in the state among others. The plan is to do mechanized farming and employ young graduates in these farms,” said Ogun

“What we are really targeting is to produce starch and glucose syrups. There is market for it. Cassava is the commonest root crops in this constituency. So what we are looking for is to cultivate large hectares of cassava farmlands, process and then sell the final products to industries that need them. There is market for it within and outside the state. We will have our young men and women working in these farms and produce these products by so doing you are creating employment, creating wealth and adding values to their lives.

“If we can produce enough glucose syrups for confectionery industries, if we can produce starch for the confectionery industries it means they will not import any of these. But yet they are importing all these items. We are going to process cassava into garri and all sorts. I make this point because we have more enough cassava in this constituency”, he said.

He also added that farmers in the constituency will be encouraged to go into large scale cassava farming to complement the proposed farm settlements to meet the industrial production.

He further added that the farmers will be assisted with high yield cassava stems as well as soft loan to improving on their farming activities.

“We brought high yield cassava stems from the Institute of Root Crops in Umudike that we distributed to some farmer. We are going to bring more to give to them. What we have been telling the farmers is that for example if they can plant a plot of land, that plot of land we will buy it from them.  Maybe the cost of planting is between N10, 000 to N15, 000 but if they know that there is a good market for it and there is also good margin, I envisaged that subsequently they will engage more labour to expand that farm,” he further said.

“There will also be ready market for them as soon as their cassavas are matured and harvested. So the value chain is there. We are adding values to their lives and encouraging them to do more for themselves”, he added.