The Edo State Government has commenced the harvest of more than 500 hectares of maize cultivated at the Udomi Farm in Esan Central Local Government Area, as part of efforts to boost food production and strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain.
The harvest, being undertaken through the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is expected to provide raw materials for livestock producers, particularly poultry farmers, while contributing to the state’s food security drive.
Speaking during an inspection of the farm, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Jerry Nwangue, said the project demonstrated the government’s capacity to produce food on a commercial scale for both domestic consumption and industrial use.
Nwangue said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo had placed agriculture at the centre of its development agenda and was encouraging residents, especially young people, to embrace farming as a viable economic activity.
He stressed that the government’s agricultural intervention extended beyond the Udomi maize farm, noting that large-scale cassava and rice farms had also been established at the Ekpoma settlement, while similar production activities were ongoing in Warake and Iguoriakhi.
“This is way bigger than what we saw last year. We are expanding. This is just one phase. What we are here today is something that has not been done before,” the commissioner said.
Describing the administration’s approach as “practical governance,” Nwangue said the government was focused on taking concrete steps to increase food production, create economic opportunities and strengthen Edo State’s agricultural economy.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Golden Ugbodu, also described the scale of agricultural activities under the current administration as unprecedented in the state.
Ugbodu expressed optimism that sustained investment in agriculture would enable Edo State to achieve food sufficiency and eventually contribute significantly to national food production.
“This is the brain of Mr. Governor. When he came, he said Edo must be food sufficient. We have never seen a massive farm like this before,” he said.
The Programme Manager of the Edo State Agricultural Development Programme, Princewill Igbinedion, said the ongoing maize harvest represented a significant improvement over the previous year’s agricultural activities.
According to him, the maize produced from the farm would serve as a major source of raw materials for livestock businesses, including poultry and other animal husbandry enterprises.
Also speaking, the Director of Agricultural Services in the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture, Ugunbor David, described the Udomi project as a clear demonstration of mechanised agriculture, from cultivation through to harvesting.
The officials said the Udomi maize project formed part of the broader agricultural intervention of the Okpebholo administration aimed at positioning Edo State as a major food-producing hub in Nigeria.
