The Enugu State Government on Wednesday appealed to farmers in the state
to increase their productivity in order to achieve food security in the area.
The Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Mr Matthew Idu, made the
appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
Idu spoke against the backdrop of this year’s World Food Day celebration, set
aside for every October 16.
The day is dedicated to commemorate the founding of the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1945.
According to the commissioner, it is necessary to produce quality food in large
quantity in order to promote healthy living among the citizenry.
He said that the state government had made tremendous effort to enhance
food production in the state by providing quality seedlings to farmers at
subsidised rate.
He said: “Food production is not only about producing food, but also the
quality of the food. “This is why the Ministry of Agriculture in the state is
concerned about the quality of food produced.
“This is because the ministry is the hub where the food comes from.
“From what is going on in the state now, food production has increased but
more people need to embrace farming so that we will continue to have more of
quality food.”
Idu said that by producing and making quality food available and sufficient in
the state, farmers would be saving and prolonging the lives of the citizenry.
He lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for initiating the forest guards and
neighborhood watch meant to provide security for farmers in the state.
