Abia State Government says it is ready to go into mechanised agriculture that would lead to value addition or produce which would yield employment opportunities and generate revenue for the state.

The State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, made this known when he received in audience, a delegation from the South American Breeding Technologies of Argentina in Government House, Umuahia.

Ikpeazu said that Abia was interested in going into integrated agriculture, with bias in cattle breeding.

The governor expressed optimism that when the project takes off, it will make the state self-sufficient in meat production and create employment opportunities.

He, therefore, charged the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, an agronomist, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant authorities to collaborate with the firm and work out details for the take-off of the project in the state, adding that he was interested in the value chain that would result from the project.

Leader of the delegation and chairman of the firm, Prof Horacio Michelini, had earlier told the governor that they were ready to partner the state in cattle production through genetic method which makes use of the embryo system.

According to him, young, top breed cow would be selected and inseminated with top quality bull, adding that the process was capable of producing 30 embryo per year from one cow.