Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Determined to increase Agricultural production in the state, the Nsukka Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NSCCIMA, has partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to achieve this feat.
The Director General of NSCCIMA Dr. Dan Ochi made this known to the Daily Sun over the weekend in a Town hall meeting held by the organisation at Adada house Nsukka to address stakeholders on the Nsukka yellow pepper export project.
In his words, “the Federal Government’s Agriculture Promotion and Expansion Programme and Recovering and Growth Plan(ERGP) will soon yield a positive impact for the people of Enugu state.”
According to the NSCCIMA DG and CBN officials the project will create about 1200 new jobs in the next two months and will also boost the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR for Enugu state and Federal government.
Explaining further Dr. Ochi said “the project will involve the establishment of about 1200 hectares of land for commercial Mechanised farming and export of Nsukka yellow pepper. The project will be financed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN under the Commercial Agriculture Anchor Borrowers Programme.”
The DG, however revealed that they have acquired about 1200 hectares of land in Enugu state for this project, adding that they will need about 1200 youths to work as farm supervisors, attendants and managers.
Narrating the advantages of the project, Dr. Ochi said, “one good advantage is that there is already huge market and demand for the yellow pepper in United States of America, USA; European Union, EU; and Nigeria.
As at today, a foreign firm has placed order for 4000kg of the freshly harvested pepper daily for the next three years while a spices and seasoning firm in Nigeria will need about 5000kg of the pepper weekly for the next five ywars. The project will no doubt boost the economic activities of the state and financially empower rural farmers.”