Governor Alex Otti of Abia state has formerly flagged off the training of 50,000 farmers chosen across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state for the training on Organic Agricultural Development and Practice.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in conjunction with International Organization for Good Leadership and Agricultural Development has chosen Abia as one of 22 states for the training of farmers on Organic Agricultural Development Culture and Practice in order to enhance Food security in the country.
Speaking at the event, Otti expressed delight for the selection of Abia State as one of  the 22 pilot States to participate in the first phase of the programme.
He said that the aim of the programme was to promote non-agro business and ensure food sufficiency in the State.

Governor Otti, who was represented by the State Director of Agriculture Services, Ngozi Obioma, stressed that effective agricultural practices would promote good health, generate employment and engender rural farmers participation.

While urging Abia farmers to make themselves available for the training, the Governor revealed that the N2,000 fee that was expected to be paid by each of the farmers participating in the training had already been offset by his government.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Monica Ironkwe, said that there was need to revert to organic agricultural culture and practice because of the damage that had been done to agriculture and soil through the use of inorganic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizer and pesticides among others.

Ironkwe who spoke through the Director Of Finance, ADP, Edna Egbu noted that high cost of inorganic fertilizer, had made it almost unavoidable for small scale farmers to increase their cost of production.
She maintained that time has come for a change to organic agriculture which according to her, produces nutrients that are non-toxic to the soil and guarantees the production of organic healthy food and rejuvenation of impoverished soil nutrients among other benefits.

The Director Federal  Ministry Of Agriculture And Food Security For Abia State, Aloysius Chibuzor Mba, stated that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was committed to organizing and managing the Agricultural sector to facilitate agricultural business, increase food security and employment, commodity value chain and agro- industrial development in order to earn foreign exchange and contribute to socio-economic development.
He maintained that Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has not relented in her mandate in this direction.

Earlier in her remarks, the Director-in-Charge, Abia ADP,  Nnenna Uche Uduma, revealed that Abia State was lucky to be among the 22 pilot States selected across the country for the training. She said that the selection was possible owing to the sincere effort of Governor Alex Otti in giving Agriculture its pride of place in the State, as Agriculture remains one of the policies of his administration.

Uduma further assured that ADP would  continue to collaborate with relevant Agricultural agencies and Institutes to train Abia farmers in various fields of Agriculture and the extension Agents to continue technology transfer and technical support to farmers.