Abeokuta — Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Monday, flagged-off the first phase of the distribution of fertilizers to different categories of farmers with a promise to aggressively tackle food scarcity in the state.
About 7,000 out of 12,000 farmers earmarked for the scheme, will benefit from the first phase, in which a total of 24,000 bags of fertilizers will be distributed.
Speaking at an event held at the Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Abiodun acknowledged the growing disparity between food supply and global food production, which has led to scarcity.
He said: "It is widely known that the global population is growing exponentially while the overall food production is falling and struggling to keep pace. We will be more aggressive in tackling food inflation.
"The initiative symbolises more than just the distribution of fertilizer. It represents our collective resolve to support the agriculture sector and ensure that farmers have the resources they need to cultivate their land effectively and efficiently.
"The provision of the right type and adequate amount of fertilizer is crucial to boost crop yields, enhance quality, and ultimately secure food supply for our state and the nation."
The distribution, the governor noted, marks another significant milestone in the ongoing commitment to ensuring food security and empowering farmers, emphasizing that agriculture remains the backbone of the nation's economy, creating and providing sustenance and reliable job opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
He noted the challenges farmers are facing in terms of unstable market prices and climate change, adding that with the right support and incentives, farmers could drive and transform the nation's agricultural sector.
He added: "12,000 farmers will benefit from this program. In the first phase, at least 7,000 farmers are to benefit. This distribution spans various categories of farmers, including the Nigeria Cassava Association, Rice Farmers Association, Maize Association of Nigeria, Farmer Allotees, Agro-services Crop Farmers, the Agricultural Development Programme, the Farmer Settlement and Estate Farmers, Tree Crops Farmers, and farmers in all 20 local government areas.
"It is gratifying to note that the ongoing cooperation of states and the federal government on this transformation agenda, particularly in agriculture, will create several opportunities. It will serve as a viable business venture, and we should all come together to ensure its success."
The present administration, the governor said, has designed and implemented programs and interventions through the implementation of the "Building Our Future Together" agenda as encapsulated in the ISEYA mantra.
According to the governor, reforms such as the allocation of agricultural lands to investors in the sector at Imasayi, Afon, Oke-Odan, Mamu, and the Odeda Farm Settlement, as well as the allocation of land to members of the State Executive Council, House of Assembly members, and High Court judges, were geared towards operationalizing our back-to-land agenda.
He said his administration has given materials to 50 cassava women farmers in collaboration with the National Agriculture Land Development Authority, empowered 3,000 farmers with farm inputs under the Ogun N-CARES project, as well as provided capacity building for 12,000 farmers under the Value Chain Development Programme.
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In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, said the administration has positively intervened in farming activities by giving 1,000 farmers, especially those from farm settlements, a 50 percent reduction in purchasing fertilizer, pesticides, and cassava stems.
He said the state government has also intervened through the off-take program by identifying 30,000 farmers and sharing them into clusters of 65 percent in mechanization and a 50 percent discount in inputs and capacity building.
Responding, the Chairman of the All Farmers' Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Alhaji Kudirat Adeoye Kusimo, appreciated the state government for its efforts in providing succor to the farmers while calling on his colleagues to be honest by using the fertilizer for the purpose it was meant for.
