AGRICULTURE: Imo State Government to plant 10 million palm seedlings in 1yr.
So, our State government has concluded plans to plant 10 million palm seedlings under the newly launched agricultural revolutionary programme known as ‘back to land’ within one year. According to this memo made available to ImoStateblog.com, Governor Rochas Okorocha disclosed this plan when he hosted leaders of Owerri West Local Government Area in the ongoing interactive session with leaders across the state.
More details read as follows:
He explained that the Community Government Council otherwise known as fourth-tier government in the state, is largely aimed at unlocking the agricultural potentials in the rural communities even as every adult would be mandated to plant at least a palm seedling to promote the programme. Speaking further on the programme, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Chinedu Offor, stated that while the programme is designed to unlock the agricultural potentials, about 1,000 hectares of land in each of the 27 LGAs would be also provided by the local government council Chairman to drive the programme.
“The state government would provide the improved specie of the seedlings that would yield in 3 years that would be distributed to all the local government areas. Palm oil as we all are aware today, is yielding huge revenue for some countries,” Offor said.
He added that the state government has resolved to take the initiative of joining the League of Nations like Malaysia that have outstanding record of creating wealth through palm oil.
“It is interesting to note that this has much to do with the potentials of recording huge revenue generation for the state and that obviously informed the reason why Gov. Okorocha is urging all Imolites to embrace this programme which in the other hand will create massive job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the state” he added.
Offor further made reference to the 3.5 Billion Naira the state government generated from the Imo Palm Plantation in addition to job opportunities it created for the people of Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area and Imo state at large and emphasized that such venture in the 27 local government areas would ultimately place Imo as the richest state in Nigeria.