AWKA (Sundiata Post) – Rice farmers have said that the successful completion and test-run of the Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) water station in Ifite-Ogwari, an agrarian community in Ayamelum Local Government Area will boost food production and security in Anambra.
Some of the farmers in Ayamelum on Tuesday said that the revamp of LAIP pumping station which had been moribund for about three decades would set the stage for resumption of dry season farming in the area
They also appealed to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to provide a 5,000KVA stepdown transformer and connect the LAIP pumping station to the national grid.
LAIP was refurbished under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase One, ATASP-1 with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as the implementing agency.
Mr Cletus Obiora, chairman of Rice Farmers Stakeholders in Ayamelum who led members on an inspection tour of the pumping station in Ifite-Ogwari appreciated the Federal Government for the resumption of water supply to the newly completed irrigation system,
Obiora said ATASP-1 had made their dream of dry season rice farming a reality through the rehabilitation of the project with concrete lining of a 40.1km irrigation canal in the area.
He called on the Anambra government to fulfill its own part of the bargain by providing a step down transformer to the station for the multi billion naira Irrigation project to be effective and sustainable.
According to him, we are happy and we want to thank the Federal Government, AfDB, ATASP-1 team, the contactors and everybody involved in the actualisation of the project.
“We earnestly appeal to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to do good to help the farmers in Ayamelum by providing a transformer because if farmers should pay for diesel, the cost of production will be high and food prices will also be high,” he said.
Also speaking, Emeka Mmadubuko, a Rice farmer and Chairman of ATASP-1 Innovation Platform, Ifite-Ogwari, said the resumed operation of the irrigation project would make life easy for them.
Mmadubuko said the installation of a stepdown transformer would reduce the cost of production and burden on the farmers as they would not be able to afford the cost of fueling the big diesel generator that was powering the five machines.
“God will bless ATASP-1, honestly, they have made life easy for us, I am hopeful that I will be cultivating rice up to four times a year.
“The transformer will be cheaper and sustainable to operate the water pumping station that will supply water to the irrigation canal for dry season rice farming,” he said
Other rice farmers including Mrs Mmachie Philomina and Mr Clelement Ekwozo said the resumption of irrigation farming would boost food production, guarantee food security, cheaper prices and generate employment.
“With this irrigation which guarantees regular water supply, Ayamelum rice farmers will be able to cultivate three or more times yearly.
On his part, Dr Romanus Egba,
the Zonal Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, expressed confidence that Anambra government would deliver on its mandate.
Egba commended the farmers and other stakeholders in Ayamelum for their patience, sacrifices and support to ATASP-1 from time of the irrigation project’s conception to completion.(NAN)
