Nigerian Government, Ogun State Government distributes Agro Inputs To Farmers
The federal and Ogun state government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), have distributed agro inputs to 450 farmers to support the 2023 planting season.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Samuel Adeogun, said during the distribution of the agro inputs at Isonyin Ijebu North East Local Government Area (LGA), the support would enable the farmers to boost food production and security.
Adeogun said the beneficiaries who are mainly rice and cassava farmers were selected from eight local government areas across the state.
He listed the LGAs as Obafemi-Owode, Yewa North, Yewa South, Ijebu North East, Ijebu East, Ifo, Odogbolu and Odeda.
He added that the programme was in line with the objectives of the Agricultural Promotion Policy(APP) and the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
“The objective was to catalyse a market-led value added production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava commodities and products by smallholders farmers,” he said.
He added that the programme was in line with the Ogun State Agricultural Revolution Initiatives of the current administration of Gov. Dapo Abiodun.
Adeogun disclosed that since the inception of the FGN/IFAD/VCDP over 10,000 farmers had been supported with inputs to cultivate 9,000 hectares for both rice and cassava across the eight participating local government areas.
“This year, another batch of 450 farmers comprising 69 males and 124 females, will benefit from this exercise across the three new participating local government areas in the state.
“The inputs support is under the grant arrangement in which the farmers pay 50 per cent of the cost and the programme pays 50 per cent using the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) modules.
“Each farmer will be supported for one hectare with four bags of NPK fertiliser, two litres of post-emergence herbicide, and 40 kg of rice seedlings while cassava farmers will be supported with 50 bundles of cassava cutting stems”, Adeogun said.
He however, appealed to the farmers to utilise the inputs in achieving higher productivity adding that the government was determined to ensure food security in the state.
In his remark, the chairman, Ijebu North East Local Government, Hon Folusho Badejo, appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs given to them.
Badejo also enjoined the farmers to make use of the inputs effectively on their farmlands in order to improve their yields, which would as well boost food security in the state.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Margaret Ademoorin, Mr Fatai Adewale, and Mr Adebajo Adewunmi, thanked the FGN-IFAD/VCDP and the state government for their kind gesture.
They, however, promised to make the best use of the inputs to boost food production and security, assuring the state of bumper harvest.
NAN / Foluke Ibitomi
