Abia promises to fund FADAMA III Project

The Abia State Government has pledged to increase its funding of the FADAMA III project to sustain the success recorded in the scheme.

Its Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Kenneth Nwosu, told newsmen in Umuahia on Monday that the rural-based programme to address farmers' problems had changed the face of farming and other agricultural activities in the state.

'The state government has taken a decision to increase its participation in the programme through improved funding and payment of counterpart funds.

'They are almost finishing the first phase of FADAMA III and the state government is keen to cue into the second phase because the programme has done well for our people,' he said.

Nwosu said the state government would continue to work with the funding agencies so that farmers in Abia would get the maximum benefits.

'Food security is critical to our survival as a nation and that is why the Abia government took FADAMA and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) projects seriously.

“The Abia State Government has not regretted any single fund it committed in the two projects as the results have been encouraging,'' he said.

The commissioner commended the federal government and the donor agencies for the extension of the project, which he noted was instrumental in providing food for the residents of the state and beyond.

The National FADAMA III programme which was billed to end in December 2013 was extended in due to the success recorded in the programme.