The federal government says the farm estates it is setting
up in senatorial districts across the country are different from RUGA (rural
grazing area) and ranching schemes.
On Sunday, Paul Ikonne, executive secretary of the National
Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), announced that President
Muhammadu Buhari has directed the agency to establish farm estates.
The development was greeted with rejection in some quarters
over the claim that the move is an indirect attempt to acquire land for a
section of the country.
But reacting to the claim on Friday, Ikonne described the allegation as “unfortunate”, adding that the project is for the development of communities.
The executive secretary said the project has nothing to do
with RUGA, adding that it is purely for development and to engage youths in the
agriculture value chain.
”Well, it is unfortunate, it’s not another type or anything
that has to do with Ruga. The integrated farm estate — the president —mandated
us to put it in all the 109 senatorial districts,” he said.
”After commissioning that of Daura, he (referring to the
president) saw the productive nature, the impact that the project will make.
The project is meant for the community to develop the community.
“What we have inside is poultry, fishery and for those who
are doing piggery. So, it is for the people. The insinuation is meant to
mislead people as a result of lack of understanding so to say.
“But the truth is that the integrated farm estate is designed
to accommodate the youths from that community in order to engage them into the
entire agricultural value chain.
”And it depends on what the community is known for and what
the community is interested in going into. Some states are getting poultry,
cattle rearing in the north. In the south like Abia, they are doing fishery and
rabbit rearing.
”In Oyo we already have rabbit rearing and crop farming, In
Ekiti, we have crop farming. So it depends on the environment, and it has
nothing to do with Ruga at all. It’s purely for development, and to engage the
youths and for the benefit of the immediate community, that is what the
integrated farming estate stands for.”
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