Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
The Federal government has procured Agricultural produce processing machines worth six hundred and forty three million and five hundred Naira for farmers in the South East Zone.
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, Hon. Linus Okorie disclosed this during an inspection of some of the equipment at Regional Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Enugu.
Okorie representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal constituency noted that the machines were attracted by him, stressing that the House Committee under his chairmanship was determined to ensuring that Federal government’s policies on food security were actualized.
The machines packed at the Ministry’s office in Abakaliki and its Regional office in Enugu include five tractors, ten units of palm oil processing plant, Hammer mill used in yam , banana and plantain processing, eleven units of cassava processing plants Hydrolic Presser, Cashew processor and Electric kettle.
He noted that apart from the machines which were aimed at stepping up Agricultural Produce Value Chain Businesses in the South East Zone, the Committee had also sent a new crop called Jatrufa to the area.
The South East Regional Director Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Nnamdi Ibezim commended Lawmaker for ensuring that the machines were delivered and assured him that they would be equitably distributed.
Okorie emphasized that he had also used his position as the chairman of the committee to attract ongoing reconstruction of Erueru and Umubo Bridges along Okposi-Onicha-Isu-Nara Road while the construction of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre as well as ICT Training facility in Onicha had commenced.
Explaining the design of the Bridges being constructed along Okposi, Onicha Isu, Nara Road, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency Engineer in Ebonyi State, Mrs Eberechukwu Ogbuagu explained that the projects were approved because of the hardship which members of the communities were facing.
