One hundred and nine rice farmers affected by the COVID -19 pandemic in Ogun state have been empowered with free inputs by the Federal Government Value Chain Development Programme.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Muhammed Abubakar while flagging-off the exercise tagged the IFAD COVID-19 pandemic Rural Poor Stimulus Facility at Odeda Local government said the empowerment was to boost rice production across the nation.
Dr. Abubakar, who was represented by Mr Aminu Saidu of the Project Coordinating Unit in the Ministry, said the inputs were to support the poorest of the poor farmers that lost their produce during the pandemic due to the lockdown.
He explained that the intervention was aimed at enhancing food security and boost farmers production noting that Ogun State rice farmers were privileged to be among the nine states benefitting from the programme.
Dr. Abubakar stressed that the initiative would boost the ongoing effort of the ministry in its various interventions aimed at alleviating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Agriculture and Rural development minister while appealing to the farmers to utilise the inputs judiciously to boost food production and encourage government to continue to support them handed over 46 kilogrammes of certified rice seeds, two liters of herbicides, two bags of NPK and one bag of Urea fertilisers to each of the 109 farmers.
The Ogun state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, represented by the state Programme Coordinator of Value Chain Development Programme, Mr Samuel Adeogun commended the Federal Government for the programme, aimed at ensuring food security and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
He noted that the implementation of the programme was in line with the agricultural revolution initiatives of the state government.
The commissioner explained that beneficiaries were selected from three local governments of the state after screening and validation by a team from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Programme Management Unit.
Dr. Odedina called on the farmers to take advantage of the initiative and ensure good agricultural practices in order to tackle the challenges of food security.
Also speaking, National Programme Coordinator of Value Chains Development Program, Dr Fatima Aliyu, represented by Mr Seriki Musa reaffirmed that the programme was to cushion the effect of the pandemic on farmers.
She listed other states in the program to include, Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Benue, Niger, Tarawa and Ebonyi involving two thousand, seven hundred and ninety three vulnerable farmers.
Two of the beneficiaries, Mr Moshood Mejigbode and Mr Obilana Olushola, who spoke for others, thanked the federal and the state governments for their support assuring the federal government that they would make the best use of the inputs to boost their production and enhance food security.
Farmers from Odogbolu, Yewa South and Odeda local government areas of Ogun state benefitted from the program.
Wale Oluokun
pub-5160901092443552
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