No fewer than 8,800 small holder farmers across the 20 Local Government Areas of Ogun State have received agricultural inputs and assets, as well as infrastructural support via OGUN CARES FADAMA, to boost the output of farming enterprises.
Presenting the items to the benefiting farmers at OGUN CARES FADAMA’s premises, OGADEP, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, said the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun was committed to alleviating the plights of farmers occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic through various intervention programmes.
Hon. Owotomo gave kudos to the farmers, who in spite of the prevailing economic challenges cultivated lands, reared animals and processed food for people’s consumption, thus contributing their quota at ensuring food security.
He said items distributed include, 14,000 day-old chicks, 560 bags of chick feed, 209 fish feed, fish smoking kin, 500 bags of fertilizer, eight motorised sprayers, 75 rechargable knapsack sprayers, 13 cassava graters, pressers, bowls for fermenting cassava, iron pots and protective kits, among others.
Other support given were 24km road rehabilitation, which include renovation of culvert, water drainages and provision of bore-holes at four wet markets, where food processing takes place, to promote hygiene and reduce food contamination.
The Commissioner, who disclosed that the distributions were in batches, urged farmers, who are yet to benefit from the project, to be patient and hopeful, enjoining the beneficiaries to synergise with FADAMA and make judicious use of the items.
“Utilise it for the purpose it was meant for, to turn around your agric businesses for maximum profits and in turn, contribute meaningfully to the economy of the state”, he said.
Remarking, the Head, the State CARES Coordinating Unit, Mr. Bayo Adenekan, who explained that Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), domesticated as OGUN-CARES, was a Federal Government initiative, in collaboration with the World Bank, to bail the vulnerable and poor households out of the brunt of COVID-19 pandemic, assuring farmers of more support.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Samuel Adeogun, said over 10,000 farmers had been assisted since inception, with testimonies of how the programme had enhanced their livelihood, advising farmers to liaise with Community Facilitators in their various local governments for needed advisory and extension services.
Earlier, the Project Manager, OGUN-CARES FADAMA, Mr. Babatunde Beckley, congratulated the benefiting farmers and urged them to work in unity in their various communities to maximize the opportunities.
There were goodwill messages from the Chairman, Ijebu-East Local Government Hon. Adetutu Oyesanya and the Vice-Chairman, Obafemi Owode Local Government, Hon. Olusesi Babatunde.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mrs. Temitope Solomon from Sagamu Local Government and Mr. Olufemi Ayodele from Abeokuta South Local Government, applauded the state and federal governments for the grants, promising to effectively utilise the items and infrastructure for increased productivity and bumper harvests.
