The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has officially flagged off its South East Agro-Development Programme with the commencement of a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unataeze, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The pilot project, being implemented in partnership with the Enugu State Government, is designed to strengthen agricultural productivity, expand food production, create job opportunities and improve livelihoods across the region.

It is also intended to develop agricultural skills and demonstrate a replicable model for modern agriculture across the South East.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Cliff Ogbede, Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development of SEDC, the project differs from a conventional farm that focuses on a single agricultural enterprise.

Instead, the facility has been developed as an integrated agricultural system that brings together fodder production, dairy, poultry, fisheries, greenhouse production, processing, mechanisation, renewable energy and practical agricultural training.

The objective, the statement noted, is to demonstrate how different components of the agricultural value chain can work together to create a more productive and sustainable system.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Ifeanyi Ossai, Deputy Governor of Enugu State, described the project as an important example of what strategic collaboration between the state and the Commission can achieve, particularly at a time when food production and economic diversification have become increasingly important.

“The development of this agricultural facility in Nomeh demonstrates what is possible when government institutions work together around a clear development objective. Enugu State is committed to creating the conditions for productive investment, and we are pleased to partner with SEDC on a project that will not only produce food, but also create jobs, develop skills, support farmers and strengthen the agricultural value chain.

” We believe this project can become an important part of the economic development of Nkanu East, Enugu State and the entire South East region within the context of Nigeria,” he said.

The project is part of SEDC’s broader agro-development and mechanisation strategy, which seeks to use agriculture not merely as a subsistence activity, but as a platform for food security, enterprise development, employment, skills acquisition and regional economic growth.

Mark Okoye, Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, explained that the project was deliberately designed as a development project to redefine how the region approaches agriculture.

“The South East Agro-Development Programme is about building productive capacity of the region. We want to demonstrate what agriculture can look like when land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets are brought together in one

system”, he said.

Okoye added that the project would ultimately be measured by its impact beyond the physical boundaries of the 200-hectare site.

“The real impact is what happens around the farm and beyond the farm. It is the young person who acquires a practical skill here and starts a farm elsewhere, the farmer who supplies maize or soya to the feed mill, the dairy farmer who gets technical support and access to a reliable market, and the smallholder farmer who is able to increase production because the ecosystem around them has improved, ” he explained.

Source: BusinessDay