The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has flagged off a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The scheme is part of the commission’s South-East Agro-Development Programme.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive of SEDC, Mr Mark Okoye, explained that the initiative was designed as a regional development intervention rather than simply a farming project.
According to him, the scheme will integrate dairy, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, mechanisation, processing and practical agricultural training, adding that it would connect surrounding small holder farmers to inputs, technical support and markets through an out-grower programme.
Okoye said the project reflected SEDC’s broader mandate to strengthen productive capacity and create sustainable economic opportunities across the South East.
“The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, value addition and job creation,” he said.
He said the commencement of the scheme at Nomeh was a pilot for developing and replicating similar agricultural interventions across the five states of the region.
He further clarified that the major goal of the scheme is to increase food production, strengthen agricultural value chains and enable more people to participate in modern agriculture.
“Rather than focusing solely on crop production, the integrated facility will combine dairy farming, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, mechanisation, agricultural processing and hands-on training in modern farming practices,” he said.
The commission said the model was designed to increase productive capacity while providing opportunities for farmers, young people and other participants to engage in modern and commercially viable agriculture.
