Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced the launch of ‘Operation Feed Everybody’ and distributed agricultural inputs to 2,000 farmers in the state. The declaration was made during the official flag-off event at the FADAMA office, Onuebonyi, in Abakaliki on Thursday.
Represented by Deputy Governor Patricia Obila, Governor Nwifuru highlighted that the farmers were carefully selected from the state’s 13 local government areas. He emphasized that empowering rural and practical farmers is the best way to combat food insecurity.
The program, under FADAMA CARES Result Area 2, will benefit 2,000 farmers by providing access to crop and livestock inputs. It aims to support rice and cassava farmers in maximizing production, ensuring food sufficiency, and improving the standard of living.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Nkechinyere Iyioku, praised Governor Nwifuru for his efforts in the agriculture sector. She noted that the distribution, which began on Thursday, would continue through the weekend, with different days allocated for the three senatorial zones. She assured that individuals and cooperatives would receive their items based on pre-profiled data.
Mrs. Iyioku also encouraged all Nigerians to engage in farming, stressing that it does not interfere with professional or career jobs and is crucial for addressing the nation’s food shortage.
Anthony Nwegede, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and Natural Resources, urged farmers to leverage the Nwifuru administration’s support to make Ebonyi a major food basket of the nation.
Distributed items included rice seeds, cassava cuttings, fertilizer, agrochemicals, broilers, day-old chicks, pig feed, fish juveniles, rice threshers, knapsacks, grinding machines, and water pumps.
