Following great successes recorded by Anambra State in rice production, the Federal Government and the World Bank have approved additional value chain for cassava production in the state, expected to gulp hundreds of millions of naira.
The World Bank-assisted project under FADAMA III is being implemented in six states of Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Kogi, Kano and Lagos, while the Federal Government has just admitted 21 other states as production centres.
Six local government areas in Anambra, Orumba North, Orumba South, Awka North, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West and Ogbaru, which had a comparative advantage in cassava production, have been selected for the project.
Team leader of the 6th Federal Government/World Bank joint mission assessing the level of implementation of FADAMA III projects in Anambra State, Dr Ben Herbert, said yesterday in Awka that the state government was expected to pay N56 million counterpart fund for the new cassava project.
He said about 2500 farmers were being targeted for the project, adding that Anambra was favoured because of the successes it recorded in rice production and the fact that it had great potential for cassava production.
Anambra State Project Coordinator of FADAMA III, Mr Patrick Egbue, said with the approval, the state would start mobilising for the immediate take-off of the project in Orumba North and Orumba South.
Members of the team later visited sites in Ayamelum, Awka North and Ogbaru for an on-the-spot assessment.
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