For centuries, agriculture has been the silent engine of economic growth, sustaining civilisations and shaping the prosperity of nations. Today, Enugu State is embarking on a bold journey to revolutionise its agricultural landscape with the Enugu Farm Estates Programme—a visionary initiative poised to turn rural communities into thriving economic hubs. This is not just about farming; it is about transforming lives, unlocking prosperity, and placing Enugu on the global agricultural map.
Imagine a future where every farmer has access to modern technology, every hectare of land yields its full potential, and agriculture is no longer seen as a struggle but a thriving industry. The potential impact of this programme on the local economy is significant, with the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and a substantial increase in agricultural output. The programme aims to increase agricultural output by 2000 percent within the next decade, positioning Enugu as a model for sustainable agricultural development.
The Enugu Farm Estates Programme is inspired by the success stories of countries like Israel, Brazil, China, and Vietnam. These nations have harnessed their agricultural resources to create employment, ensure food security, and drive economic growth. Israel, for instance, has increased farm yields by 1,500 percent through precision agriculture, while Brazil has turned formerly unproductive land into thriving agricultural hubs, contributing over $84 billion annually to its economy. This potential for economic growth is a reason for optimism about the future of Enugu State.
Enugu State embraces a holistic approach to agricultural transformation. The programme is not just about farming but about creating a structured and sustainable ecosystem where agriculture drives economic prosperity. The Enugu Farm Estates Programme is poised to impact the state’s socio-economic landscape by targeting food security, job creation, and rural economic development. Governor Dr Peter Mbah stated, “We envision an Enugu where agriculture is not just a subsistence activity but a wealth-generating industry, contributing significantly to our $30 billion GDP target.”
The policy for the development of agriculture is a two-pronged approach. The first is supporting large-scale farming through land banks. Investors are allocated land to commence large-scale agriculture. The second is the farm estates. The Farm Estates is for smallholder farmers. While increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers, the government aims to aggregate them and make them produce in a manner that surpasses the productivity of large-scale farmers. This dual strategy—supporting smallholder farmers while creating opportunities for large-scale agribusiness—ensures Enugu’s comprehensive and sustainable agricultural transformation.
The Farm Estate Model is built on three key pillars: sustainable agricultural practices that promote environmentally friendly farming techniques and ensure long-term productivity; economic empowerment that creates direct and indirect employment opportunities while increasing farmers’ incomes; and rural security and development that transforms uninhabited and underutilised lands into thriving agricultural hubs contributing to community stability. With these guiding principles, the programme is designed to harness Enugu’s vast agricultural potential and create an inclusive economy where smallholder farmers and large-scale investors can thrive.
Each farm estate is envisioned not just as a collection of farmlands but as a well-planned agricultural community equipped with modern infrastructure, including central warehouses for produce aggregation and processing, tractor sheds to support mechanised farming, resting sheds to enhance farmers’ productivity and comfort, perimeter fencing for security and protection against encroachment, irrigation systems to support year-round farming, and well-constructed access roads to facilitate easy transportation of goods. These features ensure that farming is not just a subsistence activity but a highly organised, profitable, and sustainable venture.
The success of the Enugu Farm Estates hinges on empowering the local farmers who will drive agricultural productivity. Each estate will accommodate 200 farmers from local communities, each allocated 1 hectare of land. To ensure maximum productivity, farmers will receive training and extension services to enhance their knowledge of modern agronomy practices, access to quality inputs such as improved seeds and fertilisers, mechanised support including tractors and other farming equipment, and guaranteed market access through structured offtake arrangements. By eliminating significant challenges such as lack of technical knowledge, poor market access, and inadequate resources, the programme ensures that farmers can focus solely on what they do best—farming.
One of the significant barriers to agricultural success is the difficulty smallholder farmers face in accessing markets. The Enugu State Marketing Company will play a pivotal role in coordinating the offtake and sale of agro commodities. This structured marketing approach will prevent price fluctuations and market exploitation, provide farmers with a stable and reliable source of income, and encourage increased production by ensuring that produce is bought at fair prices. By removing the uncertainty often accompanying selling agricultural produce, the programme allows farmers to concentrate on improving their output.
The Enugu Farm Estate Programme is a collaborative initiative between the state and local governments, demonstrating how strategic public-sector partnerships can drive
