The apex bank scribe, Mr Godwin Emefiele disclosed this when he visited the state in the company of a high powered Federal Government delegation including the Minister of Agriculture and rural development, Mr Audu Ogbe, the Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Bagudu and top CBN and Federal Agriculture Ministry Officials.
The team was on a one day fact finding visit to Coscharis farms, Anaku in Ayamelum Council Area , aimed at assessing the impact of #2billion CBN funds earlier provided to the farms and unraveling the state's Success story on rice production.
During the visit, the team toured the farm's large expanse of rice field where harvesting was ongoing with Mechanized harvester as well as other facilities belonging to farm after which they met with members of the Rice Farmers Association in the state at Omor Rice field.
Addressing the farmers, the CBN Governor, Mr Emefiele explained that the Bank decided to venture into supporting Agricultural activities to end the heavy importation of food in the country and to create a viable alternative for driving the nation's economy whose oil reserves he noted have been drained.
He said the visit was the beginning of an assessment tour of the nation's Agriculturally endowed states on the mandate of the President, aimed at developing a pragmatic blueprint that will drive it's strides at transforming the nation's Agric sector.
On his part, The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Ogbe in his remarks, said President Muhammadu Buhari is investing heavily in Agriculture because of its belief that unless Nigeria is able to feed it's people, it cannot boast of being independent, adding that with what is happening in ANAMBRA, the country will no longer be importing rice soon.
He lauded the working structure which the state government has put in place that has energized the value chain in the rice subsection, and said the jobs it is already creating especially for the youths will give impetus to the Federal government's efforts at job creation.
Conducting the team round the farm, Governor Willie Obiano said a major factor driving the ANAMBRA success story in rice production was the organization and coordination his administration had brought into the subsector, especially as it concerns distribution of funds and farm implements to the farmers.
He said the visit was a great opportunity to show Nigerians and in deed the world that ANAMBRA rice is real, adding that with its present capacity, the State is speedily approaching it's consumption capacity and will soon start generating surplus for export.
The governor commended the CBN for its support that has enabled the state achieve so much in Agriculture and appealed to the apex bank to raise it's intervention funds to the State to #5billion to enable more farmers benefit.
Track Up
Willie Obiano (Executive Governor, Anambra State)
Our correspondent reports that the Chairman of Coschars Farms, Mr Cosmos Maduka revealed that he had conceived the idea of venturing into Agriculture 29 years ago, it took the intervention of Governor Obiano in the areas of security and introduction of the enabling framework for partnership to achieve what he has been able to do in collaboration with the state government.
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