ODSG distributes machines to rice farmers
By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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Farmers under the aegis of FADAMA 111 additional financing have received 10 rice threshing machines from Ondo State Government to boost their production.
Speaking during the official distribution of the machines, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati described the feat as another giant stride towards enhancing food security and wealth creation among farmers in the state.
Adefarati who said the use of the machines will minimize the farmers cost of production and maximize their profit noted that there has always been a conscious effort at revolutionizing industrial base of the state economy through agriculture.
According to him, the administration’s five-point agenda with the acronym JMPPR has as number one, job creation through Agriculture, Entreprenuership and Industrialization.
He commended the state Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu for paying up to date the state counterpart fund to FADAMA office in Abuja which made the procurement of the machines possible.
He also commended the effort of the farmers for providing 20 percent of the total cost of the machines and advised them to make judicious use of them.
Also speaking on the occasion, Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Segun Odusanya said Ondo State has been noted as a rice producing state, hence the need to increase the milling capacity.
“What we have on ground now is 10 tonnes per day and we want to go to 1,000 tonnes per day. We want to empower more of these farmers that are putting their own personal effort to do this.
The State Project Coordinator of FADAMA, Mr Olusiji Olatunji said nobody believed that Ondo state was producing rice, but with the project’s support, the farmers now produce at seven to eight tonnes per hectare from the baseline of 1.5tonnes per hectare.
While saying that the machines will boost their production, Olusiji advised the farmers to maintain them.
He called for more processing centres and investors in the state.
He added that before installing the mill at Ayede Ogbese, the farmers were selling their paddy to off takers from Edo, Osun and Lagos states but the project now off take their paddy.
One of the farmers, Mr Francis Aileme commended the state government for its support to them adding that the machines will ease their stress, reduce waste and cost of production.
The duo of Mrs Juliana Emmanuel and Mr Tairu Mustapha also commended the state government for the kind gesture stating that their 20 percent contribution is insignificant.
Each of the machines cost about N400,000 totalling about four million naira, according to the state project coordinator. While the farmer group contributed N80,000 each, government added the remaining balance to it.
Out of the 10 local government areas that produce rice in the state, only Akure North, Akure South and Ileoluji/Okeigbo benefitted from the first phase.
