Okey Ezeh: Making Ideato North a Net Exporter of Rice

By Collins Opurozor

Before the discovery of crude oil, agriculture used to be the mainstay of the Nigeria economy. Its impact was felt more in food production and the downstream agro processing industries.

But the focus on oil has led to the neglect of agriculture. This has had severe consequences on food security for Imo State and the country at large. However, agricultural potentials are in abundance in much of Imo State, especially Ideato North. Major agricultural produce of the LGA includes: cassava, maize, cocoa yam, yam, banana, plantain, rice, and palm produce. Some households maintain livestock.

There are some private farms scattered in the LGA specialising mainly in sheep, goat and pig rearing.

Palm production and processing is another agro-business that is common in the LGA. There are very many palm trees of the local variety though a few Raffia palms grow along the river basins.

All of these notwithstanding, Ideato North is particularly endowed with a natural irrigation channel and arable land suitable for rice farming. At Ohia Uchu, and, indeed throughout Arondizuogu, we see agricultural potentials yet untapped in view of dearth of policy, lack of farm inputs, improved crop variety and seedlings, lack of implements; inaccessibility of information; poor road infrastructure and lack of storage facilities.

The agricultural policy thrust of Okey Ezeh is therefore to make Ideato North attain self sufficiency in food production, and to commence and rev up cultivation of rice for export. Ideato North shall certainly attain economic prosperity through increased agricultural production: livestock and tree crops.

The target is that by the end of 2021 Ideato North will enjoy at least 67% increase in agricultural output and 42% increase storage capacity. With Okey Ezeh as Imo State Governor, Ideato North shall be great again! Vote SDP!