Farm Estate to generate N2bn annually-NALDA

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says the ongoing construction of the Integrated Farm Estate in Ogun will generate N2 billion when completed.

The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne made this known on Tuesday in a statement issued in Abuja.

Ikonne said that the integrated Farm Estate would also engage 1500 beneficiaries.

“The farm estate which is set to be NALDA’s biggest farm in fish, goat and snails production is located on a 100 hectares land in the state’s Special Agro Industrial Zone, in Makun-Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the State.

“The farm estate would comprise of Garri processing and packaging plants, snail farming, Goat rearing and fish farming,’’ he said.

Ikonne said that the land clearing was done and mapped out for different activities such as crop farming zone, Cassava processing zone and fish processing zone.

“Snail processing zone, warehouses, Fish pond, Snail farm, Poultry, Goat and Sheep pen, office area and pasture area for grazing the animal.”

The NALDA boss said that the farm is expected to be completed in February 2022 and would be the biggest due to its proximity to the commercial city of Lagos.

“Ogun is one of our key farm estate because of its proximity to the sea ports for export purposes and the farm estate would give Nigeria and Nigerians an image in food production,” he said.

Ikonne noted that the Farm estate would expose the host community to development and boost the living standards of the people in the area.

He said that the Farm Estate would help reduce migration from the community to the urban areas, increase their incomes through agriculture and increase the GDP of the state.

He further applauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s visionary leadership in revolutionising agriculture in the country and for reviving NALDA.

He said with the NALDA Farm Estate across the country Nigerian youths are in for good business.

The NALDA boss said the farms are purely organic and would be fully mechanised with all year round farming activities.

He added that irrigation system would be deployed to the farms, noting that the Ogun soil is high yielding.