Cross River State has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming agriculture into a major driver of economic growth, wealth creation, and food security, with the state government unveiling fresh efforts to strengthen agribusiness, attract investments, and expand access to markets for farmers.
Speaking during a media briefing in Calabar, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, said the administration of Governor Bassey Otu views agriculture as a strategic economic sector capable of generating prosperity rather than merely a social intervention programme.
Ebokpo noted that despite Cross River's favourable climate, rich natural resources, and strong farming population, the state had for years failed to fully harness its agricultural potential due to weak market systems, limited access to finance, inadequate value chain development, and insufficient private sector participation.
According to him, the ministry is now focused on building a modern and commercially viable agricultural economy that creates value across the entire chain from production and processing to marketing, distribution, and export.
"Our mission is not simply to increase agricultural output but to create an investment driven sector where farmers are profitable, agribusinesses are competitive, young people see agriculture as a viable career path, and rural communities experience sustainable economic growth," he said.
The commissioner described Project GROW as a key vehicle for achieving the state's agricultural transformation agenda, noting that the initiative promotes enterprise development, market access, private sector collaboration, financial inclusion, and long term economic empowerment.
He stressed that government alone cannot achieve sustainable agricultural development and called for stronger collaboration among farmers, cooperatives, financial institutions, agribusiness operators, development partners, traditional institutions, youth groups, and the media.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of Project GROW, Denis Ikpali, highlighted the programme's achievements and future plans, revealing that the project currently operates across several priority value chains including rice, maize, cassava, aquaculture, and animal production, while also supporting soybean, cowpea, wheat, sorghum, groundnut, and orange fleshed sweet potato production.
Ikpali disclosed that the state government has established an Agricultural Development Fund capable of providing guarantees of up to N30 billion to attract private sector investors into the agricultural sector. He said the initiative is expected to facilitate investments worth up to N150 billion over the next six years.
According to him, Project GROW has already facilitated over N3 billion in agricultural financing, with an additional N1.5 billion currently available for the 2026 farming season.
He explained that the project adopts a market systems approach that goes beyond production by supporting processors, aggregators, service providers, mechanisation operators, and input suppliers to build a self sustaining agricultural ecosystem.
One of the programme's major achievements, he said, is the securing of off take agreements with Flour Mills of Nigeria for 2,000 metric tonnes of soybean and 20,000 metric tonnes of maize valued at approximately N18 billion.
"We are creating markets first and then encouraging production. This helps farmers produce with confidence knowing there is a guaranteed buyer for their products," Ikpali stated.
He added that more than 28 agribusiness aggregators and over 20 service providers are currently operating within the state under the initiative. The programme has also helped deploy mini tractors and mechanised services to farmers, improving efficiency and productivity across farming communities.
The project has trained over 5,300 farmers in partnership with German development partners on good agricultural practices, financial literacy, and modern farming techniques.
Ikpali further revealed that during its pilot phase, Project GROW supported the cultivation of 450 hectares of maize and soybean and successfully facilitated the supply of 114 metric tonnes of soybean to a processing factory, integrating Cross River farmers into Nigeria's grain supply chain.
He noted that the programme has already generated 391 direct jobs while efforts are ongoing to document and expand indirect employment opportunities arising from its interventions.
Despite challenges posed by inflation, rising transportation costs, and limited access to finance, Ikpali expressed confidence that lessons learned from previous farming seasons would help improve outcomes in 2026.
He announced plans to cultivate 500 hectares of soybean and another 500 hectares of rice using mechanised farming methods this year. As of the time of the briefing, about 300 hectares had already been prepared for planting.
Both the commissioner and the project coordinator reiterated the state's determination to build a resilient and competitive agricultural economy capable of improving livelihoods, strengthening food security, creating jobs, and positioning Cross River as a leading agricultural investment destination in Nigeria.
0 Comments