#Agriculture

We’ve resuscitated agric sector —Adefarati

By Fatima Muraina

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The legacies left behind cannot be over- emphasized and would not be forgotten so soon which included; reviving the moribund ministry of agriculture and breathing life into it among others.
Former Commissioner for Agriculture, Asiwaju Adegboyega Adefarati made this known while speaking with The Hope in Akure.
Adefarati who said he had left a legacy that would never be forgotten, recounted several of his achievements which included distribution of over 1.5m improved cocoa seedlings and 50,000 cashew seedlings to farmers at no cost.
“Procurement of 1000mt of fertilizers for sale to farmers at subsidized prices, registration and regulation of farmers cultivating the grey areas of our forest reserves.”
According to him, farmers were being arrested and jailed for encroachment into the state forest reserves which led to the introduction of what he called Taungya system on lease agreement to nip their challenges in the bud.
He said two thousand (2,000) hectares of cocoa plantation was established at Ijugbere, Owo, in Owo LGA as well as establishing demonstration plots within the premises of the Ministry for farmers to understudy the use of drip irrigation facilities to encourage all year farming.
The ministry, he noted, also constructed a sector of Centre Mechanical Workshop at Ondo road in Akure, for Agro-processing Centre and Reactivated four tractors through Public Private Partnership.
In addition, the industrial presence in the state were commissioned; cassava plantation for industrial processing, facilitation of establishment of animal feed production plant at Idanre, using ponds, retrieval and activation of Agip donated fish hatcheries at Okitipupa and Owo which would be managed by private investors.
He mentioned the procurement of 20 new tractors and farm implements for use at a highly subsidized rate, while soft loans at 6percent interest rate were distributed to the farmers.
Applauding the state governor, Adefarati said the state never defaulted in payment of counterpart funds to FADAMA 111 and the LIFE-ND programmes.
Adefarati was able to extend partnership relation to draw partnership and support programmes with Development partners.
Notable among which includes: Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) grants of 2.5m USD for the development of oil palm and cocoa value chains.
“FGN/IFAD/LIFE-ND Project which is being implemented in one hundred (100) communities in ten (10) local government areas of the State for six years in the first phase to provide 4,250 employments to our people.
The programme is funded jointly by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to the tune of 10m USD,”
“Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), World Bank Assisted Programme which is to be implemented in all the 18 local government areas of the State to enhance 5,000 farmers which is focused on three value chains of poultry, small ruminants and piggery to the tune of 10m USD for 12 State of which Ondo State is valuably considered.”
Adefarati included that World Bank Assisted Agro-processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS) and that the state is expected to be enlisted to participate in the programme this year 2021 as the scooping exercise is concluded.
This, he noted would focus on three value chains of cassava, cocoa and Aquaculture under the programme.
He however appreciated God and the state governor for granting him the opportunity to serve his people, a period he described as serious engagement in the service of humanity.

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0 Comments

  1. Felix Oladipo
    04th Mar 2021 Reply

    Thanks my leader, you really change the phase of Agriculture in On do State during your time sir and your impacts on this cannot be forgotten.

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