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Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has officially launched the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project, backed by the World Bank, with the aim of bolstering food production within the state.
Envisioned as a six-year endeavor, the APPEALS Project emerges from the joint efforts of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the World Bank, and key stakeholders, dedicated to offering crucial assistance to rural farmers.
Among the projects recently inaugurated are 15 Aggregation and Cottage Processing Centres focused on cashew, rice, and poultry. These are strategically dispersed across the state’s three senatorial zones, accompanied by an additional 10 energy installations.
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In his address at the Nara Rice Processing Centre in Nkanu East Council Area, Mbah underscored that the state’s success was a direct outcome of his administration’s dedicated efforts to boost food production. He said the aspiration to transform the state into a net exporter of agricultural products within the next four years.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, said that his administration anchors the sustainability of the state’ economy on agriculture, which has the capacity to earn huge revenue for our dear state.
‘With the construction, equipping and use of this Nara rice processing centre by Enugu APPEALS, the agricultural revolution of the state has moved from pipeline to platform and from dream to reality,’ he said.
Addressing the audience, Ihuoma Eze, the APPEALS Project Coordinator in Enugu State, highlighted the impressive capacities of the Rice Aggregation and Processing Centres, including milling capabilities of 10 tons per day and drying capacities of five tons per day.
Reflecting on the project’s timeline since its inception in 2019, she underscored that it has empowered a substantial 8,520 direct beneficiaries. This includes 2,948 CIGs/SMEs and 1,700 agro-entrepreneurs, spanning women, youths, and individuals with disabilities.
