Governor Soludo Powers Industrialisation of Agriculture for Export in Anambra and export-driven processing to help farmers earn foreign exchange.
This commitment was reaffirmed during the inauguration of Ideal Agro Allied Produce Limited, a tuber crop processing company located in Akwaeze, Anaocha Local Government Area of the State.
The facility, founded by industrialist Ikenna Okafor who is also a LECTURER in ESTATE MANAGEMENT Department , will process yams, cassava, and potatoes for international markets, directly advancing the “industrialisation of agriculture” across the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ben Odoemena, speaking at the event, explained that processing plants are the missing link in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, noting that without the “industrialisation of agriculture”, farmers risk watching their yields rot away due to a lack of buyers.
We have passed the period of planting, harvesting and eating, we want to start cultivating, eating and exporting to enrich ourselves”, the Commissioner stated.
According to Odoemena, “governor Soludo’s administration is actively shifting focus from subsistence farming to industrialised agriculture. The government will prioritize agro-processing industries that drive value addition and reduce post-harvest losses with the ‘industrialisation of agriculture’, farmers gain direct access to export markets.”
The commissioner emphasized that commercial-scale farming, supported by processing plants like Ideal Agro, guarantees food sufficiency while opening doors to foreign exchange earnings.
“If you harvest and no one buys them, it will waste,” Odoemena added. “But this company has made the job easy for us to talk about the “industrialisation of agriculture”
The government has pledged continued support for industries that transform raw tubers into export-ready products, ensuring that Anambra’s farmers finally profit from their labor while contributing to the state’s economic transformation through sustainable agricultural practices.
