… orders for mass production of staples
This comes on heels of the skyrocketing price of foodstuffs such as rice, garri, beans, onion, tomato and others in local markets especially those ones produced within the State.
The governor who is particularly concerned about consequences of a food crisis in the State during the forthcoming Christmas has directed the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Glory Edet, and her team at the Agric ministry to initiated measures that will eventually crash the price of foodstuffs to a reasonable extent, ahead of the Yuletide.
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Findings reveal that Governor Emmanuel has placed a premium on agriculture for the past five years, investing massively in the development of the sector to ensure that not less than 80% of what is consumed in the State is produced within and that raw materials are readily available for budding agro-allied industries across the State.
It was gathered that the plan to reverse the hike in food prices formed part of deliberations at the State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at the Government House, Uyo.
Briefing journalists after the SEC meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Iniobong Ememobong, disclosed that “EXCO has directed the State Commissioner for Agriculture and the entire agriculture apparatus of government to ensure that the prices of garri and rice are crashed to a reasonable amount in preparation for the yuletide.
” Also, EXCO noted the hike in the price of onions and has directed the Ministry to take practical steps to ensure large scale commercial production of onions.
“We do not want to be challenged by things we can surmount, hence the desire of Government to produce at least 80 per cent of consumables here in the state is on course”, he added.
Although the hike in the price of commodities is generally felt across the country, the mouthpiece of Akwa Ibom State government alleged involvement of market unions in the recent food price hike, maintaining that the problem of the high price of commodities in the state was not just that of availability of the products but union practices to cause artificial scarcity.
Meanwhile, Governor Emmanuel is putting measures in place to ensure a crime-free Yuletide across the State and has directed security agencies to handle all security infractions in the State with diligence in preparation for the season.
