The Federal Government on Sunday announced that it had commenced the reactivation of the 35-hectare farm estate in Imo State that was abandoned for more than 30 years.

It signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Imo State Government for the reactivation of the Acharaugo Emekuku Integrated Farm Estate in Owerri North Local Government Area of the state.

The government disclosed this in a statement issued by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary, NALDA, Paul Ikonne, who inspected the farm estate in Imo State and a fish village in Abia State, said both projects were been developed to engage about 800 workers.

For the farm estate, Ikonne said the facility had capacity to engage about 500 farmers directly and would have a veterinary training centre.

“The training centre will be used to give practitioners and prospective veterinary doctors the opportunity to be trained and acquire knowledge on how to take care of animals within a farm,” he stated.

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He added, “Our intention is to make the farm fully functional, bring back the things that used to be there before, such as poultry, piggery and goat pens.

“Also, additional facilities such as the processing and packaging units, training centres and snail rearing points will be restored.”

Ikonne said Imo State had promised to increase the farm estate from 35 hectares to 100.

On the fish village in Ariam Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, the NALDA boss said the facility occupied 100 hectares of land and would engage about 300 direct workers in the areas of fish and grass-cutter farming as well as crop production.