Ogun to upscale support for farm settlements

Empowers 3,000 farmers, food processors

Ogun State Government has vowed to redouble its efforts at providing needed support and intervention to farm settlements in the state, in order to boost food production across the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon Bolu Owotomo stated this during an unscheduled visit to Ajegunle farm settlement in Odeda local government area of the state.

He noted that the visit was to assess the farm, identity challenges and proffer solution, adding that rehabilitation would soon commence in all the farm settlements in the state,as it was key to the present administration agricultural agenda.

Owotomo mentioned that there would an increase in government intervention, through provision of agro input, capacity support for smallholder farmers,as well as provision of storage and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.

The Commissioner also visited Ogere International Market in Remo North local government where he expressed government intention to encourage Private Public Partnership (PPP) to further ensure that the market becomes fully utilized, not only to enhance revenue, but to further promote trade and agriculture , particularly in the livestock sector.

Meanwhile, the State Government has distributed 10 motorcycles to Community Facilitators of OGUN-CARES FADAMA in Abeokuta.

OGUN-CARES FADAMA is the delivery platform of Nigeria Covid19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) vested with the responsibilities of increasing food security and safe functioning of food supply chain for the vulnerable and poor households to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the poor farmers, across the 20 Local Governments of the State.

Handing over the motorcycles to the

Community Facilitators in Abeokuta, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Owotomo, noted that the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun was passionate about the conducive working conditions for workers, hence the release of funds for the purchase of the motorcycles to enable the officers reach out to more farmers in the various communities where their farms are located.

Also the Programme Manager, OGUNCARES FADAMA, Babatunde Beckley, disclosed that over 3,000 farmers and food processors have been empowered while 10 wet markets have been rehabilitated for safer food production, saying the motorcycles being given to the Facilitators would enhance their job performance and service delivery.