The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • OAU, others collaborate on comprehensive soil map

    THE Nigerian Soil Health Consortium (Ng_SHC), which comprises universities, including the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and research institutes, is to provide a digital soil map to tackle low farm productivity in the country.

    Low productivity has been made more acute by climate change.

    The OAU Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), which has the mandate for soil mapping and capacity building, is the anchor of the mapping coordinated by the Ng_SHC.

    IAR&T/Project co-ordinator Ng_SHC, South, Dr Olufunmilayo  Ande said Nigeria needs quality  soil maps to ensure food security.

    Speaking with The Nation, Dr  Ande, an  associate professor in the university, said fertility and other soil characteristics are dynamic processes that must be well understood for a country to  feed its population.

    She explained that through the years, the soil fertility status of Nigeria  has deteriorated, and has faced severe nutrient depletion and degradation. She expressed concern on the level of soil fertility degradation in Nigeria, linking farmers’ poverty to the decline in soil fertility because the present management methods have limitation to support sustainable crop production

    According to her, most agriculture programmes are done without sufficient scientific data on soil types and capability for crop performance.

    She  observed  that  farmers, who  carry out agriculture programmes to address household incomes, look at only crop yields without integrating sustainable land management practices such as soil and water conservation.

    According to her,  it is necessary to carry out a national soils survey and develop extensive information for land use planning.

    To help combat this, she  said the institute was working with the consortium for a national soil map that would enable fertiliser to be matched with soil conditions and crop requirements.

    The state-of-the-art digital mapping project combines satellite imagery with data from the ground and historical information, to analyse soils and rainfall in different areas and recommend suitable fertiliser and crops

    A soil map is a geographical representation of soil types and properties, such as textures, organic matter, and depths of horizons.

    She explained that there are a number of uses, including the construction industry,  but soil maps are used largely by farmers, land users and policy makers.

    “Using such data,” she added, “would lead to better yield results when compared with traditional farming. However, to date, the perceived high cost of entry has proved a barrier for many small-scale farmers.”

    She said the group intends to make farming more affordable to arable farmers and landowners, drawing together a unique set of data to produce meaningful soil management zones.   She, therefore, called for a paradigm shift from the conventional methods to adoption of proven technologies in order to improve farmers’ livelihood.

  • FACAN seeks more exports of non-conventional produce

    The Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) President, Dr. Victor Iyama, is seeking increased export of non-conventional agricultural produce to  contribute to the government’s strategy of diversifying foreign earnings.

    Speaking  with The Nation,  Iyama  noted  that trade in non-traditional agricultural exports, including fruits and vegetables and selected speciality and processed products,such honey  can  fetch Nigeria  more foreign exchange, urging  the government and  producers  to embrace produce other than  cocoa and cashew.

    He said beekeeping and products derived from it could generate income for the country.

    He  said Nigeria needed to diversify into the production and export of produce with higher unit values, and build capability to become large scale, very low cost exporters across a wide range of non-traditional products.

    According to him, there was substantial trade in mangoes, other fresh and tropical fruits, and the  global market for non-traditional agricultural produce is both valuable and dynamic.

    He explained that supermarkets and international buyers play an important role in increasing the opportunities for developing countries to produce and supply agric produce.

    Against the backdrop of falling prices for primary commodities, he urged  the  sector  to diversify its  production and/or export base, including improving measures to address issues  such as phytosanitary rules and other  criteria perceived as the major barrier to trade for local exporters.

    According to him, there are several important pre-conditions for the successful agro exports trade, including technical expertise, a well-structured production and export sector and a highly efficient supply chain from the field through to port or airport.

    In practice, the greatest challenge for existing and new entrants to the agro exports market is to meet the high standards of compliance set by the supermarkets and large retailers.

  • ‘Govt committed to agric transformation’

    THE Federal Government  has. demonstrated a strong political commitment to agricultural development, Feed Nigeria Summit Director-General Richard-Mark Mbaram has said.

    Mbaram, who spoke in Lagos,  noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has responded to the challenges of the sector through the National School Feeding programme and other activities to raise smallholder farmers’ productivity.

    According to him, the school feeding programme suggests the provision of clear pathways to enhance the sector’s performance, which will lead to wealth and job creation, poverty alleviation and food nutrition security.

    He  underscored the political will demonstrated by the government to boost rice production nationwide, including  steps taken  to achieve the government’s transformation agenda.

    Mbaram noted that Nigeria can feed and nourish itself, adding that Feed Nigeria Summit is to prove  that agriculture can feed the nation.

    He called for efforts to support smallholder farmers, linking them to local markets and promoting national integration.

    According to himt, the yearly forum brings together experts and leaders, who confront these challenges head-on, based on the latest science, whic ask difficult, but necessary questions that will have Nigerians radically rethink their approach to food systems.

  • NMetS calls for changes in agricultural practices

    The Nigerian Meteorological Society (NMetS) has advocated for changes in the nation’s agricultural practices due to the heat wave currently ravaging most parts of the world.

    The President of the society, Prof. Clement Akosile, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    Akosile said that the call became necessary because the nation’s agricultural practices depended on rain and Nigeria was closer to the Equator.

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    According to him, Nigeria is bordered by many desert regions and that when heat wave hits such regions, it will cut-across the country.

    “It will affect plants, animals and humans as major parts of the country become dry.

    “The dry land will ginger movement of people and animals southwards in search of comfort from the harsh weather. It could worsen the herdsmen and farmers’ clash,’’ he said.

    He said that farmers must take irrigation farming serious because heat wave was capable of causing hunger and famine.

    “Nigeria is blessed with abundant rainfall; areas in the North experience flooding, the flood water should be harvested and harnessed in a sustainable way for agricultural processes.

    He said that now was the time to find solutions to nature currently bringing changes to the environment globally, adding that the way we prepare for the potential danger would make a great difference in reducing the intensity.

  • Unlocking agaribusiness exports potential

    There is optimism in the industry as the demand for agro exports increases. This is because the global market demands Nigeria and other countries introduce good agricultural practices and traceability mechanism , especially for organic agro exports, which fetch premium prices. Experts say the government can turn around the fortunes of the sector, if it pursues a long-term strategy of improving standards of organic agro exports, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The international organic industry is worth more than S200 billion yearly, according to analysts. It remains a key market segment for major food producers and ambitious small businesses.

    In fact, the segment has been identified as the fastest growing  in the food industry.

    Demand for organic and fair-trade products is increasing in the international market. Available records show a rapid increase in market share of such products on the international markets providing real opportunities for producers to generate incomes and increase returns on investments. These niche markets offer opportunities for small farmers in Nigeria. Furthermore, these markets usually offer price premiums. More consumers are willing to pay a higher price for the assurance that producers receive a fair price that covers the costs of sustainable production, allows a fair remuneration of farm workers and provides a sustainable livelihood for food producers.

    Despite emerging opportunities, few Nigerians are selling their produce on the international market because without the requisite certificate from a recognised certifying body, no produce is accepted as organic. Also, organic and fair-trade markets demand high quality products, and farmers need to meet the standards and face certification costs.

    These were the points  at the just-concluded National Organic Agriculture Business Summit (NOABS) held in Lagos.

    The summit was themed: “Organic agriculture: Abundant opportunities for health and hospitality businesses.”

    The event brought farmers, scientists, extension agents, industry members and key policy influencers together to address the challenges facing organic agriculture and to share knowledge.

    Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN) President, Prof. Victor Olowe said if the right policy measures were taken, organic farming could grow tremendously, leading to, perhaps, doubled income for farmers.

    With increasing considerations on healthy food consumption, he  noted  that  responsible and sustainable farming emphasis on certification has become prominent.

    Olowe noted  that certifications provide comparative advantage  for  farmers interested in organic farming.

    According to him, organic product that has traceability would possibly attract a higher price.

    He  said most farmers would need to be trained in such skills before they could take full advantage of the emerging market.

    Lead speaker and  Abayomi Farms Chief Executive, Prof. Akin Abayomi said a visit to his  organic farm at  Ikoyi, Osun State could be quite an eye opener. The farmland resembles the laboratory of any agricultural scientist. He follows what is known as integrated organic farming. Not only does he not use pesticides on the 300-acre farm, but it also comprises many other practices such as bee keeping, biogas production, water harvesting and composting.

    A combination of these practices is sure to make organic farming successful ecologically. With success comes challenges.The cost of organic food is priced higher than food grown with the use of chemicals .

    Another problem for organic farmers,  such as Abayomi’s  is that Nigeria  lacks a  legal  authority  procedure for certifying organic foods.

    The challenges notwithstanding, Lagos State Agricultural  Development Authority (LSADA) Programme Manager Programme Manager, Dr. Olalekan Pereira Shiteolu said the state will continue to support organic agriculture and  to motivate farmers to adopt good agricultural practices.

    Represented by  the Deputy Director, Extension Services, Mrs. Kosoko Enitan, the Programme Manager said the government had taken some initiatives, including promoting the organic farming component, to boost food production.

    The Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Mr Oyewole Oyewumi, has called on erosion-prone communities to engage in organic farming to minimise soil erosion.

    Oyewumi described organic farming as  a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use pesticides, inorganic fertiliser, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones. It, however, provides an alternative care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock.

    The commissioner said organic agriculture could reduce soil erosion by 50 per cent. Besides, he said organic agriculture was of great importance to human, animal, agro-production ecosystems, the environment, the farming community and society because of its ability to keep the soil intact.

  • Modern farming, key to food sufficiency, says Lokpobiri

    The only way Nigeria can attain self-sufficiency in food production is for  farmers to embrace modern farming,  Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has said.

    The minister regretted that the gap in domestic food production have existed in Nigeria for many years because, it depended on rural farmers and their rural farming methods for its food needs.

    Lokpobiri however, expressed delight that the Federal Government had been redressing the situation through policies and infrastructural development of the rural communities.

    According to the minister, “The only way we can feed ourselves is for us to develop our capacity, embrace modern farming technology and technics so that we will continue to enjoy high productivity, not the subsistent farming we are used to.”

    Speaking when he received a delegation from the Africa-Asia Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) led by Secretary-General of the Organisation, Wassfi Hassan El Sreihin in his office in Abuja, Lokpobiri stressed the need for the development of the  rural areas to stem urban migration.

    He noted that if urban migration was halted, it would reduce poverty and crime, as well as limit the pressure on the amenities in the urban areas being experienced in the country.

    Lokpobiri said: ”Nigeria is a country where we are basically being fed by the rural dwellers,” noting: “If rural development is not given priority, and already studies have shown that there is urban migration because of lack of development in the rural areas, the cities would soon be over crowded.”

    Continuing he said: “Land to farm is in the rural areas and if those people in the rural areas are empowered through capacity building, through technology transfer to be able to stay there and continue to cultivate in agriculture, poverty would be reduced, there will be less crime, and there will be less pressure on the limited amenities that we find in the urban areas.’’

    According to the minister, the only difference between the agricultural system in Africa and those of the advanced economies of the world is the use and deployment of technologically advanced equipment by the later.

    While drawing comparism between the Nigeria climate and that of the Latin American countries, which he noted are basically the same, the minister regretted that, “Because sometimes we don’t want to be relevant in technics, the yield over there could be 20 tons while here it could be 2 tons. This is basically because of the way we plan and the way we manage our cropping system.”

    In his remarks, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Burka Hassan noted that Nigeria is at the verge of transiting from subsistent agriculture to sustainable agro economy.

    According to him, Nigeria is  striving to diversify from oil-based based economy to an agric-based one through emphasis on technology and modernisation of farming.

    The AARDO SG pledged his organisation’s commitment to collaborating with the nation’s rural farmers to grow the sector because of Nigeria’s strategic position in Africa and the West African region.

    He said: “We assure you that we will offer our assistance to the country. This is my first official visit to Nigeria since I took over as the Sec Gen in 2011. As you know Nigeria is a very important country in this region and the world. Since then we have been collaborating and enhancing the lives of the rural people of Nigeria, neighbouring countries and members of the organisation.

    “Since 1999 when Nigeria became a member of the organisation, Nigeria has benefited from our technical work programme, including the human capacity building. AARDO offers many hundreds of training programmes and fellowships every year in different countries in Asia and Africa which officials from Nigeria benefits from.”

    According to Sreihin, “In 2007, we financed one project in Nigeria. In 2006, we signed an MoU with the Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) , Ilorin for collaboration and assistance for international training programmes were organised and I am here to revive the MoU for the benefit of our members.”

  • Boosting cassava production

    The Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State(ACCOS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are set to roll out initiatives to support cassava farmers to boost production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Iseyin, Oyo State is a rural community life where people farm and look after their livestock to earn a living.

    Young unemployed graduates have moved to the community to farm. To them, Iseyin offers an alternative to unemployment.

    That is why the  Chief Executive Officer of Eagleson and Nito Concepts, Ms. Nike Tinubu, has come in to help.She is part of those boosting cassava production. A successful cassava producer, she has sited her cassava flour processing plant in Iseyin, thereby creating jobs.

    She has built her success on an- inclusive business model that places smallholder farmers at the centre of her operations.

    Having started at Lagos State Agriculture Youth Empowerment Scheme, popularly known as “Agric-YES” Settlement  at Arago Poka Street, Agric, Epe, Lagos, she  later moved to Aba-Ola Iseyin Local Government Area, Oyo State to acquire  1000  acres for cultivation of  starchy root, which has allowed her to expand source of raw materials. Initially, she started working with few farmers, engaging them to cultivate cassava on some parts of her 1000-acre farm.

    Through her experience in the cassava sector, she observed that when farmers transported their cassava over very long distance, the starch content could drop from 17 to five  per cent and tubers would often rot. The proximity of the factory to the farmers ensures that good quality, mature cassava tubers with high starch content are processed within 24 hours, avoiding unnecessary losses.

    The steady supply generated by these local farmers has allowed the company to maintain a relatively stable price throughout the year to undercut international pricing. She explained that cassava also has a high water content and starts to degrade rapidly after harvesting. It has to be processed within 48 hours of being lifted.

    With many production areas riddled with logistical issues, including bad roads, she  noted  that centralised processing is a viable option. She had to establish her processing factory with the farm area to enable her process it there after harvest.

    A life time spent on cassava production, has made Ms Tinubu an ardent advocate for people- focused solutions to agricultural problems.

    She has built a business relationship with smallholder farmers in the farming community in Iseyin, and further enhance women’s roles in agriculture across the cassava value chains. As markets and demand for agricultural produce change, she   provides women with opportunities to step out of roles as laborers and subsistence farmers.

    However, governments have begun to realise the huge potential for the plant as a driver of rural development. The market for cassava’s commercial and industrial use has started to grow. Its root starch is now in demand from food and beverage companies for bread and beer production. It can also be used in plywood and pharmaceuticals, as well as feedstock for the production of ethanol biofuel.

    To  boost  national cassava volume, Ms Tinubu is working Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State(ACCOS) to find practical ways to make farming work for the people.

    She had been experimenting with marketing inside and outside the state, but with the outgrower scheme organised by ACCOS. She has provided a standard market for micro cassava farmers producing cassava on her farm to support her high quality cassava flour factory within the area.

    The corporation collaborated with Ms Tinubu to support the micro producers with technical assistance, production plans, provision of stems, among others.

    ACCOS funds 200 acres of cassava plantation on her farm.

    Ms Tinubu said increased cultivation of cassava had boosted its processing into flour and reduced the challenge of sourcing for raw materials.

    She said more farmers were now cultivating cassava tubers because of availability of ready markets.

    Mrs Tinubu said cassava processing into flour was becoming easier because of exposure and support from the government on cassava flour processing.

    The  project enables her organisation in partnership  with ACCOS to  provide employment for local youth by creating sales, mechanic and support staff jobs, which has the added benefit of slowing migration from Oyo State’s key agricultural production areas.

    She explained that  youths migrate for employment daily due a lack of employment opportunity and capital constraints in their own communities, a phenomena that directly contributes to agricultural yield loss.

    She believes that the role of both rural and urban spaces for rebuilding food systems is ever more relevant.

    Success for entrepreneurs  such as Ms Tinubu  allows farming households to access innovative, scale-appropriate technology, increase employment for youth and boost cropping system productivity, all of which are needed to sufficiently and sustainably increase food production for future generations.

    The government is spending  money trying to improve production and create a food supply chain around cassava.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Oyewole Oyewumi   said the government would empower cassava producers through the state’s funded Anchor Borrower’s programme introduced by ACCOS.

    He explained that ACCOS is saddled with financing peasant farmers in the state through her soft loan programme but with the global trend of agricultural financing in line with government diversification agenda, the agency is restructured towards financing farming under the “Home grown anchor borrowers’ scheme” to showcase agriculture as a business rather than hobby.

    In partnership with Eagleson and Nito Concepts, Oyewumi  explained that the government is funding of 200 acres of cassava plantation.

    Oyewumi said the project was designed to support the farmers to increase their yield, enhance sustainable profit and boost food security in the state.

    An Agribusiness Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr Nelson Abila, said his organisation was working with high quality cassava  producers, such as Ms Tinubu to provide them with technical support to earn higher income.

    According to him, the organisation trains farmers to maximise productivity and meet stringent quality requirements.

    By improving their farming and business practices, he said the farmers would be creating a more prosperous future for their families and oft-marginalised community.

    The other goal, he explained,  is to  create a more efficient and profitable processing center by investing in upgraded equipment and ensuring quality control.

    Abila said UNDP is supporting the government objectives of making agriculture and food processing more productive and competitive, and increasing private sector participation and investment in agribusiness.

    He said UNDP is committed to the revival of Nigeria’s agricultural industry and will continue to improve the agricultural enterprise model so that it supports the government’s policy to promote food security.

    According to him, the organisation’s value chain development approach include supporting farmers and agro entrepreneurs to improve their productivity and increase their yields, and address challenges of access to finance and upscaling processing operations.

  • ‘UI research farm promoting food production’

    The University of Ibadan(UI)  is using its research farm to  increase food production in the region.

    In a statement, a  faculty member of the varsity, Dr Thomas Adesina said the farm is training Nigerians on adding value to agricultural products to improve food production.

    According to him, one of the varsity’s objectives is to provide a solution to the nation’s lingering problems, among which are food insecurity and wild life preservation.

    He  explained that the  farm since its establishment in 1949 has been an effective centre for the practising classroom instruction and research with the objectives ranging from enhancing research capacity building for a more holistic institutional development, developing strategies for proactive sourcing of research grants, scholarships and fellowship, engaging in and maintain collaboration and strategic partnership with public and private institution with similar goal and vision,  promoting and bringing a desired change within and outside the university community and the society at large.

    The principal activities of the  teaching and research farms, according to him, also covers agricultural research and practical education specifically, and add value to socio-economic development through increasing productivity or agricultural yield per hectare through the dissemination of relevant information about new discoveries in the field of pest control, rainfall optimisation, breed/species upgrades, soil nutrition enhancements.

    The others are driving efficiency in the agricultural value chain, improving the conditions of living of small leasehold farmers who rely on agricultural extension services to achieve effectiveness and efficiency of resources, and in all promote national food security.

    He  added that the farms serve as a training ground for students from other institutions for practical exposure.

    Apart from its year four agric undergraduates, Adesina said the farm host students from the University of  Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)  yearly. These include students from other universities, mono-technics and colleges of agriculture, such as Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH), Osun State University, Osogbo, Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Ibadan, Federal College of Animal Health & Production Technology (FCAHPT), Ibadan, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igbo- Ora, and Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.

    A very vibrant unit of the farm, he  added,  is the oil palm section,  established in 1955. The oil produced is sold commercially and is of very high quality and is in high demand, due to the standard method of processing and growing innovations of product developments and improvements.

  • Group advises farmers to increase soybean production for export

    The Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association Nigeria (FACAN) President, Dr. Victor Iyama, has advised farmers to take advantage of the trade war between the United States (U.S.) and China to double their soybean acreage for increase exports earnings.

    This followed China imposition of  tariffs on U.S. soybeans, a development that has shaken  global trade flows.

    China is the world’s largest consumer of soybeans and the destination for well over half of U.S. soybeans.

    Beijing said it will impose an extra 25 per cent import duty on more than 500 U.S. goods, including soybeans from today. The move was in response to Washington’s plan to slam duties on $50 billion Chinese goods, as the trade dispute between the world’s top two economies escalates.

    The tit-for-tat trade threats have already disrupted trade flows across the commodities sector from sorghum to coal and inflated prices of animal feed ingredients such as soymeal.

    China is the world’s biggest pork producer and consumer and its industry relies on soybean meal, a product of soybean crushing, to feed its pigs. Rising costs for hog farmers risks increasing the price of pork, a component of China’s consumer price index.

    Iyama said the rising cost of American soybeans  will  improve the competitiveness of Nigerian  supplies to China markets.

    According to him, local producers can join other suppliers to replace the supply of soybeans from the U.S. going to China, urging  farmers to take advantage in markets where  U.S.  share of exports will drop.

    Iyama urged food exporters to explore opportunities, appealing to the government to focus on sustainable development and is creating fantastic opportunities for agribusiness and food.

    According to him, while agro commodities   are growing ,  so much  need to be done to increase volume  to enable agriculture make an impact on  trade.

    Exporters, he added, ought to focus on value-added products and diversify export markets which typically fetches higher per-unit value than  unprocessed  produce .

    He explained that the  government and the private sector needed to jointly work out ways for boosting the per-unit value of exports. That can come from a combination of high-end processing and value-addition in export products as well as from targeting richer segments of export markets.

    Meanwhile, agro investors on the platform of Madaki Agro Services Limited have said they are targeting an investment of 100,000 hectares of Arable land in soya beans cultivation in the next five years.

    Its Executive Director, Operations, Mike Enahoro stated  that the target is to have 100,000 hectares by the end of five years, noting that the target is just a drop in what Nigeria arable opportunities have. “Nigeria still has about 1.6 million hectares,” he said.

    Enahoro said the group is targeting three tons, adding that if there is a natural disaster or herdsmen attacks, the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Commission Company (NAIC) will step in to remedy the situation.

    He said: “The role of government is to create an enabling environment, support investors with investment programmes such as the Anchor Borrowers Programme, accelerate and support us with all necessary platforms.”

    In his presentation on the investment opportunities earlier, the company’s Executive Director of Finance, Chijioke Ofomata, said: “The Madaki Agro Services Limited is working to unlock untapped value in the agriculture and agro allied processing sectors.”

    He revealed that the company had acquired 10,000 hectares of farmland in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State for growing cash crops.

    “These include soya beans, groundnuts, wheat, rice, sorghums, cowpeas with a model of planting and harvesting three  cycles in a year.

    “The Madaki business model is based on being an anchor/aggregator of small holder farmers (Anchor Borrowers Programme) principally designed to empower communities and create wealth for rural farmers as well as activate company owned farming which will drive further, both productivity and profitability.”

  • IFAD distributes input to rice, cassava farmers in Ogun

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Assisted-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), has distributed farm input to 1,500 rice and cassava value chain farmers for the success of this planting season.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Adepeju Adebajo, inaugurating the distribution of the input in Owode Local Government Area, said the input would help the farmers boost production.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Olatunbosun Mosuro, he also expressed optimism that the input would assist farmers meet the challenges of food security.

    Mrs Adebajo said the beneficiaries were selected from five local government areas: Obafemi/ Owode, Yewa North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu East, and Ifo.

    She said the implementation of the programmee was in line with the objective of Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) and the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

    “The objective is to catalyse a market-led value added production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava commodities and other products by smallholders farmers,“ she said.

    The said the objective of the programme would be achieved “through the adoption of best practices and innovations that increase efficiencies of value chain of the commodities.“

    She also said the youth would be attracted to farming and gender inclusiveness ensured through the programme.

    Adebajo noted that the programme was also in line with the mission of the present administration to rebuild Ogun.

    The commissioner disclosed that since the inception of the FGN/IFAD/VCDP, over 6,000 farmers had been supported with input to cultivate 7,000 hectres of rice and cassava across the five participating local governments.

    She added that the VCDP support to farmers had impacted positively on their productivity, adding that the average yield of cassava from 2015 increased from 10.1 metric tons per hecter to 25 metric tons per hectre last year.

    The commissioner also disclosed that rice production increased from N1.6 metric tons per hectre to 4.4 metric tons per hectre within the same period.

    She, however, appealed to the farmers to judiciously utilise the input for them to achieve higher productivity.

    The state VCDP Coordinator, Mr Samual Adeogun, said the motive behind the distribution of the input was to provide farmers with the value chains to increase their productivity.