Anambra pushes agro-industrialisation for forex gains

Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo

The Anambra State Government has unveiled plans to drive agro-industrialisation and boost foreign exchange earnings for farmers through large-scale production and export-oriented processing.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ben Odoemena, disclosed this on Wednesday during the inauguration of Ideal Agro Allied Produce Limited, a tuber crop processing company located in Akwaeze, Anaocha Local Government Area.

According to him, the administration of Chukwuma Soludo is shifting focus from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture capable of ensuring food security and generating export revenue.

He said the establishment of agro-processing facilities would help eliminate post-harvest losses and create a ready market for farm produce, particularly tuber crops such as yam, cassava and potatoes.

Odoemena noted that the state would prioritise investments in industries that add value to agricultural products, stressing that farmers would benefit from improved processing, storage and export opportunities.

The processing firm, founded by industrialist Ikenna Okafor, is expected to process tuber crops for international markets. He said the company had already secured approvals from food regulatory agencies in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Okafor added that the initiative would reduce wastage, create jobs and enable farmers to earn foreign exchange from their produce.

He disclosed that the company had begun large-scale yam cultivation on a 200-plot farmland in Ufuma and had already started generating export earnings.

Also speaking, a director of the company, Esther Okafor, described the project as a major step towards strengthening agricultural processing and export development in the state.

The event attracted farmers, government officials and key stakeholders in the agricultural sector, who toured the facility as part of efforts to deepen collaboration and promote industrial-scale farming across Anambra.