Imo assembly mulls agric settlements, estates

Debates on a bill seeking to establish agricultural estates and settlements in the three geo-political zones of Imo State have started at the state House of Assembly.

Speaker of the assembly, Acho Ihim, disclosed that the bill was now at the committee stage, having passed the first and second readings.

If passed into law, the bill sponsored by member representing Njaba constituency, Uju Onwudiwe, would see to the enhancement of foods and cash crops across the state.

The lawmaker said in an interactive session with journalists yesterday, that the bill is aimed at improving other agricultural produce as “livestock, poultry, fishery, dairy and other related matters connected therewith.”

Onwudiwe restated that the bill was people-oriented, adding that the proposed settlements and estates would be a departure from subsistence farming to the mechanised commercial farming.

She noted that the estates and settlements would be controlled by an agency under the office of the governor, and not the Ministry of Agriculture, adding that there would be provision for schools, pipe borne water, houses for farmers, game resort among others, in each settlement.