Anambra inaugurates N16 Billion tomatoes and cassava plantation at Anaku with 113, 500 jobs ready for grabs

www.odogwublog.com reports that Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, on Thursday launched N16bn worth plantation exclusively for cultivation and processing of tomato and cassava in the state.

Speaking at the event in Anaku, Ayamelum Local Government Area, Obiano announced that the project was part of his administration’s agrarian revolution.
He said the state had opened its doors to agro-investors, who had since discovered what the state had to offer on investment.
Obiano said, “Today, we are on a different turf; Ekcel Farms is investing in cassava and tomato.
“It will produce over 150,000 tons of tomato puree.
“This investment is a blessing to the Omasi people in particular and to the state in general.
“It will attract 13,500 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs.”
The governor explained that the company would allocate five per cent of its annual profit to the host community, 10 per cent to the state government and another five per cent to the provision of amenities.
Earlier, Chairman of Ekcel Farms Ltd., Mr Emeka Okwuosa, said the company became interested in the state when it realised that the governor’s economic blueprint was not a political gimmick.
“It became obvious from the way he went about tackling the challenge of insecurity in the state.
“If Anambra were not secure, Ekcel Farms would not be here today,” Okwuosa said.
He said when fully operational, the farm would be producing 21,000 tons of cassava per annum, while it would produce 150,000 tons of raw tomato and 51,000 tons of tomato paste.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Mr Cyril Enweze, expressed optimism that the Ekcel Farms would attract more investors to the state, reports www.odogwublog.com .

 In depth report 

Governor Obiano announced that finally, the fire of his administration’s agrarian revolution has started to spread as the N16 billion ($100m) farm he flagged off will exclusively focus on the cultivation and processing of tomato and cassava.

According to him, since the arrival of Coched Farms Limited in Anaku in May last year, Anambra State had flung its doors wide open to agro-investors who have since discovered what the state has to offer to the investment community.

Said he: “Today, we are on a different turf. Ekcel Farms is investing in Cassava and tomato. It will produce over 150,000 tons of tomato puree. This investment is a blessing to the Omasi people in particular and to Ndi Anambra as a whole. It will attract 13,500 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs.”

The governor further explained that the company would allocate 5% of its annual profit to the host Community, 10% to the state government and another 5% to the provision of amenities. “Is this not a blessing to Omasi people? Is this not a blessing to Anambra State?” he asked and exhorted the Omasi people to endeavor to play the good host and provide a congenial atmosphere for Ekcel Farms to thrive and fulfill its mission as a going concern.

 “I want you to imitate the Anaku people who have been a wonderful host to Coched Farms. Since Coched farms began operations there in May last year, there has not been a single incident between it and the host community. That is the way I want you to relate with Ekcel Farms,” he further enthused.

Governor Obiano also advised the Omasi people to adopt a very friendly attitude to the farm and treat it as though it belonged to the community. “I Want you to take ownership of this company. Treat it as your own. Lend them a timely hand. They have come to develop and build Omasi and you must help them to do it,” he advised.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Ekcel Farms Ltd, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa had explained that Ekcel Farms Ltd became interested in Anambra State when it realized that the governor’s Economic Blueprint was not a political gimmick but a true blueprint for the development of Anambra State.

“It became very obvious from the way he went about tackling the challenge of insecurity in the state. If Anambra were not secure, Ekcel Farms would not be here today. Most investors like me will not invest in any place where we do not feel secure,” Engr Okwuosa observed pointing out that the governor had yet to spend a full year in office but he had recorded a tremendous achievement.

Speaking further, Engr Okwuosa said, “We are not just here to farm but to set up an industrial and mechanized agriculture. The whole aim is to cultivate, process and market cassava and tomato products. It is obvious that agriculture needs to be developed to become the bedrock of the economy.”

According to him, from the experience his company had gathered from operating in other parts of the country, it had developed a community engagement model that would help to strengthen its ties with the host community. “We shall help the community to form cooperatives and encourage local farmers to cultivate cassava which we shall take from them for processing. This will help the community generate instant revenue.

Engr Okwuosa further revealed that when fully operational, the farm would be producing 21,000 tons of cassava per annum while it would produce 150,000 tons of raw tomato and 51,000 tons of tomato paste.

“We expect that in the next six months we shall be fully on ground here. We also expect that our plant will be fully operational between 12 to 18 months. The plant will be built overseas and shipped to Omasi for installation. But we will commence cultivation prior to that.  We are not in this business for the short term. This is a business that will last for decades. I must thank the governor, Chief Willie Obiano whose vision and drive made it possible for us to come here today,” Engineer Okwuosa revealed.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) Igwe Cyril Enweze had expressed optimism that the arrival of Ekcel Farms would attract more investors to Anambra State.

He applauded Governor Obiano for turning Anambra into the safest state in Nigeria and offering a strategic blueprint that offers a clear delineation of priority areas in the Four Pillars and 13 Enablers.

Igwe Enweze also lauded Governor Obiano for leading Anambra to the top of accountability and transparency in governance in Nigeria.

Picture : Obiano and Okwuosa as well as Umeh