Abia State Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture is to partner Kitovu Technology Company to empower farmers and enhance agricultural productivity in the State .
Kitovu Technology Company, provides smallholder farmers with data to make smart decisions about what to grow that would sell, and how to grow it efficiently, so as to enable them to earn more money from their farms.
The partnership was announced during a meeting, which held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, Umuahia, between farmers in the State, critical agriculture stakeholders and the management team of the Ministry, led by Cliff Agbaeze, State’s commissioner for Agriculture.
According to the Commissioner, the initiative seeks to, among many benefits, identify genuine farmers, link communities to commodities, build a credible agricultural database and develop an agric map for Abia State.
He explained that the initiative will enable the government and other agricultural development agencies to provide targeted interventions and support to farmers towards improving agricultural productivity and food sufficiency.
He stated that the ministry will be visiting farmers in their various Local Government Areas in the coming days, to carry out proper agricultural needs assessment in the communities.
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Agbaeze, appreciated Governor Alex Otti, for finding him worthy to serve as commissioner for Agriculture in the State at such a time as this, when feeding has become a major challenge for most homes.
He vowed that the onerous task of ravamping the agricultural sector in the State will not be taken lightly.
Ijeoma Aguwa, permanent secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the ministry’s intention to assess farmers’ needs, enumerate them and collaborate with them to improve the sector.
Nwachinemere Emeka, chief executive officer, Kitovu Technology Company,
explained that their technology will help gather accurate data, process it, and store it in the “cloud” for future use.
He urged farmers to cooperate with the exercise and inform others about the proposed farmers’ enumeration in the state.
He explained that the initiative is expected to address concerns about soil productivity, climate change, and incorrect pesticide use, which have been among the major challenges faced by farmers in the State.
He said that with the partnership that Abia State is poised to become a leading agricultural hub in Nigeria, by providing opportunities for farmers, investors, and other stakeholders in the sector.
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