From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The federal government has inaugurated Agricultural Machinery Equipment Institute (AMEDI) in Obudu, Cross River to ease and modernise farming.
Inaugurating the project at Obudu, the Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive of NASENI, Prof MS Haruna, said they cited the factory in Obudu in recognition of Governor Ben Ayade’s strides in agro-industrialisation.
Haruna said the Institute would produce high-tech agricultural equipment to ease and modernise farming, adding that the equipment would be produced by Nigerians, particularly in the catchment area where the institute is located.
According to him, “we are here today not only to lay the foundation for the construction of Machinery Equipment and Development Institute(AMEND) but first and foremost to celebrate an achiever, Governor Ayade.
“I must confess that it is his performance, his record that attracted our attention to decide that AMEDI was suitable to be cited in a cluster of industries in Obudu here in Northern Cross River and the President graciously approved our recommendation.”
Giving an insight into the nitty-gritty of AMEDI, the NASENI boss stated that “the institute is not just a regular institute, it is a South-South zonal institute for agriculture.
“There are to be only six in the entire country and one of them is located here. It is also among the first three in phase one of the construction and development of this institute.
“This institute has the mandate to research, develop and manufacture equipment to ease farming, to introduce mechanised farming, it is there to ease the method of cultivation, of planting, of weeding, of harvesting, of shelling, of processing and of preservation of food crops.”
Assuring speedy completion of the project, Professor Haruna said President Buhari has directed that AMEDI should commence immediately without delay and that the locals would be trained.
On his part, Governor Ayade expressed gratitude to the President for finding the state worthy of the project.
Emphasising the place of agro-industrialisation in the economic growth of every nation, Ayade “every nation must start with agro-industrialisation and you cannot agro-industrialise without the basic equipment.
“The choice of Cross River state for this institute, therefore, is a result of the calibration of all that we have achieved in terms of agro-industrialisation, the establishment of a plethora of agro-industries.”