Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
As a way of reviving the dwindling means of livelihood of farmers in Ogun State occasioned by COVID-19, 1,150 farmers in the State, comprising 115 Farmers’ Groups in nine Local Governments that make Ogun-East Senatorial District, under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, have been given inputs and assets.
The gesture was a follow-up to the empowerment of 190 farmers empowered with fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, water pumps, processing machines, herbicides, day-old chicks, feeds, pigs, and goats, among others during the pilot phase of the programme last year, as a way of reviving their dwindling means of livelihood occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking during the distribution of the items at Ijebu-Ode Local Government Secretariat, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Adeogun, said the NG-CARES programme was put together by tripod efforts of the World Bank, the Federal Government and Ogun State Government to liberate farmers from the negative effects of the pandemic.
Mr Adeogun added that the Gov. Dapo Abiodun was poised, at giving necessary support to farmers in the State to become the food basket of the nation.
He expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would record huge success just as those empowered during the pilot phase have started turning in testimonies of good profit in their enterprises.
“I am happy to let you know that the beneficiaries of the pilot phase have started turning in testimonies as they have been recording huge success in their agric businesses. I believe that the beneficiaries of today will have better testimonies as I enjoin you to make judicious use of the inputs and assets given to you in order to turn your enterprises around,” he charged.
Earlier, the Project Manager, OGUN-CARES FADAMA, Mrs. Solape Awe, stated that the inputs and assets given to farmers, ranging from personal protective devices, bags of fertilizer, sprayers, water pumps, herbicides, day-old chicks, feeds, pigs, goats and many more were in fulfilment of promises made to the beneficiaries based on their various enterprises and need assessments.
Mrs. Awe assured the farmers of continued extension and advisory services through the facilitators and extension officers in their localities, charging them to utilise the farmers’ record books and diverse training they had, to enable them to realise the best output in agricultural practices.
Thanking the donors on behalf of the benefitted farmers, Mrs. Paul Juliet, said the volume of inputs and assets given to them would turn their business around and promised to make proper use of them, calling on other farmers to embrace government’s empowerment programmes for their benefits.
Other dignitaries at the event were the Permanent Secretaries, Ministries of Finance, as well as Budget and Planning, Alhaji Muftau Towolawi and Mrs. Olufunmilayo Dada respectively, and Chairmen of the nine Local Governments that comprised Ogun East Senatorial District.