Ebonyi Varsity Embarks on Commercial Food Production

 

By Peoples’ Guide Reporters

In a bid to boost food security, generate revenue and bridge the gap between the academia and the industry, the Directorate of Agribusiness and Incubation Centre, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki has commenced commercial food production. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the two months old administration of Professor Michael Awoke as Vice Chancellor of the university. The project is also in line with the People’s Charter of Needs policy of the Ebonyi State Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, the university Visitor.

The project is aimed at producing a wide range of crops, including rice, maize, cassava as well as foundation seeds from breeder seeds for sale to seed companies and individuals.

According to the Director of the Centre, Professor Simon Nwibo, the project is expected to provide students with hands-on-experience in commercial farming, thereby enhancing their skills and employability. Additionally, the project serves as a platform for research and innovation, exploring new techniques and technologies to improve crop yields and food production, while generating revenue for the university.

Professor Nwibo commended the Vice Chancellor for introducing new measures, including merging the Ebonyi State University Agribusiness with the Incubation Centre, as well as other critical interventions which have repositioned the centre to be among the best of it’s kind in Nigeria and beyond. The Director observed that the centre had been producing only rice, but has now concluded plans for maize, and cassava production and processing for garri and chips in commercial quantities.

On his part, the Principal Farm Officer, Ebonyi State University, who simply described himself as Mr. Bartholomew, explained that the Ebonyi State University is the only institution that has the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to produce foundation seeds from breeder seeds which is a specialized area in the entire South-East and South-South of Nigeria.

He narrated that although the centre had existed in a very small scale since 2009 and got registered with the CAC in 2012, it was the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Michael Awoke who merged it with the incubation centre and converted it into agribusiness in order to make it go into full commercialisation.

He expressed happiness and optimism that this development will not only contribute to making quality and affordable food items available to the university community and environs, but will also boost the internally generated revenue of the university.

He called on farmers in the state and beyond, to patronize their foundation seeds and rent mechanised farming equipment such as tractors of different sizes, fertilizer applicators, hand-powered tillers, weeders, cleaning machines, etc, at very affordable cost. He also called on the EBSU community and residents of the state to buy the university’s processed milled rice because of its high quality and nutritional value, and at a price they van hardly get elsewhere.

A cross section of the university community interviewed described this innovation introduced by the Vice Chancellor and his team as a welcome development, especially in the current economic climate where food security is a major concern in the society. They expressed optimism that the project will make significant impact on local food system and contribute to the university’s internally generated revenue.

Services rendered by the Ebonyi State University Agribusiness and Incubation Centre include production of foundation seeds from breeder seeds and selling to seed companies and individuals, processing and distribution of milled rice, renting of machines and other mechanised farming equipments, as well as teaching, research and consultancy services.