By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Government says it is set to establish no fewer than 340 Green House Technology farms across the 17 council areas in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru, said on Friday in Enugu that the Green House Technology farms was an initiative of Governor Peter Mbah to revolutionarise agriculture in the state.
Ubru said that the Green House Technology farm had successfully completed it pilot stage in the last nine months, adding that the pilot stage was highly successful and “it is time to replicate it in the council areas.”
“After the successful pilot stage, it is time the state government in partnership with the 17 local council governments set up the Green House Technology farms and get our people involved in this lucrative business of technological modern farming system,” he said.
There will be 20 Green House Technology farms in each of the 17 council areas and we will do all year round culitivation of exotic vegetables and spices, according to him. He said that the exotic vegetables and spices would be for export purpose as the cargo terminal wing of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu would soon be completed to air freight the produce.
“The Green House Technology farm initiative holds a lot of benefits and promises for the state as we already found out from its pilot scheme that under a controlled environment, we can do three or four times cropping and harvesting yearly.
“The improved seedling of exotic vegetables and spices can give us super yields and required export standard and specification. “The Green House Technology farms also have solar-powered cold box system attached to it for preservation of the exotic vegetables and spices and ensuring they retain freshness for export.
“It is one of the initiatives meant to realise Governor Peter Mbah envisioned reality of moving Enugu State economy from $4 billion to N30 billion GDP within eight years,” he said.
The commissioner said that each Green House Technology farm would employ at least between four and six staff. He said that the materials to build a environment and temperature controlled Green House Technology
farm are available within the state including the solar-powered cold box system attached to it.
“We are also encouraging corporate organisations and individuals to participate in the Green House Technology farming as the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation is ready to provide technical support to such private ventures to succeed.
“Our agriculture-loving governor is putting all to ensure that agriculture becomes a big business venture, and no one regret taking up agriculture as a business and residents taught best agronomy practices to take advantage of any available space within homes for farming.”
