By Asuquo Cletus
The Cross River State Government has flagged off the 2026 farming season and commenced the distribution of farm inputs, including seed yams, soya beans and fertilisers, to farmers across the state.
The initiative is part of efforts by the state government to boost food production, promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen the livelihoods of farmers through improved access to modern farming inputs and technologies.
The event, organised by the Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, CGIAR and other development partners, was held on Wednesday at the ministry’s headquarters in Calabar.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, said the intervention was aimed at boosting food security, increasing agricultural productivity and improving the livelihoods of rural farmers.
Ebokpo said the state government had introduced a new agricultural direction focused on climate-smart farming, seed yam multiplication and value chain development.
He noted that unlike previous exercises, the programme was not a mere ceremonial event but a practical intervention backed by farmer training and modern agricultural technologies.
“Today’s event is not just about flagging off anything. Usually when we flag off wet or dry season farming activities, we fill this place with inputs. But for this administration, those audio activities are over,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that over 400 farmers and extension officers across the three senatorial districts had already been trained in yam minisett technology and rapid vine multiplication techniques in partnership with IITA.
According to him, the ministry also procured eight metric tonnes of improved seed yams from IITA for distribution to farmers across the state.
He explained that the initiative became necessary following the death of about 12 women farmers from Cross River who reportedly died in a road accident while returning from Taraba State after purchasing seed yams.
“And so we said going forward, never again will anybody go to Taraba to buy seed yams. We will propagate them here in Cross River State,” Ebokpo added.
The commissioner further announced plans to establish 40 community-led seed yam multiplication centres across the state to drive local seed production and reduce dependence on neighbouring states.
He said the centres would be certified and regulated by the National Agricultural Seeds Council to ensure quality assurance and traceability.
Ebokpo also urged farmers to embrace intercropping, particularly with soya beans and cowpea, as a strategy to cushion the effects of climate change and fluctuating commodity prices.
“We want farmers to intercrop soybean in yam farms, cassava farms and maize farms so that even if one crop fails or prices drop, they will still have alternative sources of income,” he said.
Also speaking, the State Programme Coordinator of the Homestead Farming Programme, Alban Nwogu, described the initiative as a major step towards agricultural transformation in the state.
Nwogu said the minisett technology introduced by IITA would significantly reduce the cost of seed yam production while improving yields.
According to him, Cross River currently records an average yam yield of 10 metric tonnes per hectare but is targeting 30 metric tonnes per hectare by 2027 through improved technologies and climate-smart agronomic practices.
He added that the Homestead Farming Programme had commenced profiling of seed yam farmers in Calabar South and Calabar Municipality to strengthen farmer monitoring and agricultural data management.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Odey Ikongah, commended the collaboration between the state government and development partners, noting that the intervention would enhance food production and rural economic growth.
He urged farmers to utilise the distributed inputs effectively and adhere strictly to extension officers’ guidance to maximise productivity.
The event featured the distribution of improved seed yams, fertilisers and climate-resilient soya bean varieties to selected farmers and farming groups across the state.
Primetime gathered that the distribution will continue across various Local Government Areas of the State
