The Anambra State Government has unveiled plans to spend ₦200 million in 2026 on the procurement and distribution of endangered indigenous fruit trees.
This move is targeted at restoring fast-depleting Igbo botanical heritage and boosting agricultural wealth across the state.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Foster Ifejiofor, disclosed this after a bilateral budget session with the Finance and Appropriation Committee of the Anambra State House of Assembly.
He stated that Governor Charles Soludo’s administration is taking decisive steps to revive culturally significant crops and strengthen economic returns for rural communities.
According to the budget breakdown, the state will procure: 60,000 Ukwa (breadfruit) seedlings at ₦1,500 each — totaling ₦90 million.
“40,000 Udala (African star apple) and 20,000 bitter kola seedlings, valued at ₦84 million
“10,000 raffia palm and 16,000 ogbono seedlings, estimated at ₦26 million.”
According to Dr. Ifejiofor, the seedlings will be distributed across all 21 local government areas, ensuring wide coverage and direct benefit to farming households.
Agricultural expansion
He emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Soludo administration’s vision for agricultural expansion and youth participation in agribusiness.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, noting that results are already visible across the state.
“We are restoring our fruit heritage while expanding economic opportunity.
“Agriculture remains a priority, and we are positioning young people to maximize these resources,” he said.
Beyond fruit trees, the government is also driving a palm revolution, with plans for 100,000 households to receive oil palm and other economic seedlings in the 2026 fiscal cycle.
The Commissioner described as strategic for wealth creation and long-term sustainability.
Dr. Ifejiofor added that agricultural progress is also being supported by infrastructure investments under various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), especially ongoing road projects connecting rural farmlands to markets.
With this allocation, Anambra aims not only to protect endangered native crops but also to transform agriculture into a major economic engine for communities across the state.
