Ogun nominated for FG’s agric pilot programmes

Ogun State has been nominated to benefit from three Federal Government’s agricultural pilot programmes aimed at further positioning the state as the food basket of the country.

Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, made this known when he led the management of the authority to visit Governor Dapo Abiodun, at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

He noted that the state would  benefit from the Integrated Farm Estate, Garri Packaging Plant, a training programme on soil testing and extension services for 200 young graduates with science and agriculture related degrees.

Ikonne said the Integrated Farm Estate would be sited in the three senatorial districts of the state, and that the estate would involve everything from production to processing, packaging and marketing.

He explained that the garri processing plant would give farmers the opportunity of farming with the belief that their efforts would not go to waste.

“We are running programmes and projects which Ogun State has been slated to be one of the pilot states. NALDA’s Integrated Farm Estate is going to be sited in Ogun State in the three senatorial districts of the state. The Integrated Farm Estate is a concept that takes in everything from production to processing, packaging and marketing, we also have residential areas for farmers inside the integrated farm estate. Knowing that Ogun has the highest capacity in cassava production, our Garri packaging plant will be located in the state, thereby NALDA will be the off-taker from the farmers, we process it, package it accordingly and move it into the market.

“We are training young Nigerians based on the President’s directives on soil testing and extension services, so Ogun State is expected to nominate 200 people in the first phase.