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By Chinyere Anyanwu
No fewer than 30,000 farmers have been put into clusters for improved production of rice, maize and cassava, among others, with the provision of inputs at subsidised rate and continuous training on best practices.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, revealed this during a visit to the Alubarika 200-hectare rice farm cluster at Magboro in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, noting that 60,000 farmers had been captured under the Ogun State Farmers Information Management System (OGFIMS) in partnership with IITA, with plans to capture an additional 100,000 farmers before the end of the year.
Owotomo restated the state government’s readiness to support farmers in accessing needed resources to succeed, in order to boost food production and ensure food security and expressed satisfaction over the progress of farmers in the cluster. The commissioner noted that the farm was part of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) initiative, and was expected to yield 1400 tonnes of rice upon harvest, saying the move is in line with the state government’s objectives to improve agricultural production.
‘’Most of the people in this cluster were not farming before now but they were planting on a plot which have been expanded through the state government’s support,” he said.
Contributing, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye, urged farmers to take advantage of the various government interventions to increase their yield and livelihood.
On her part, Project Coordinator, OGSTEP, Mrs. Mosunmola Owo-Odunsi, said the rice cultivation programme is a multi-sectoral project, aimed at improving the living standard of farmers, while appreciating the governor for providing necessary resources for its success.
Responding on behalf of other farmers, the cluster Secretary, Mr. Salam Adelowo, lauded the drive of government’s passion in making rice available in large quantity and solicited for improved social amenities in the farm.
