About 8,800 small holder farmers across the 20 local government areas of Ogun State have benefitted from the free agricultural inputs and assets as well as infrastructural support through the OGUN-CARES FADAMA to further boost the outputs of farming enterprises in the state.
Items distributed include 14,000 day-old chicks, 560 bags of chick feed, 209 fish feed, 500 bags of fertilizer, 8 motorized sprayers, and 75 rechargeable knapsack sprayers.
Other supports are 24 roads, which were rehabilitated, including culvert, water drainages, and provision of boreholes for water supply at four wet markets where food processing takes place to increase hygiene and reduce food contamination.
Presenting the items to the benefiting farmers at OGUN-CARES FADAMA premises, OGADEP, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Commissioner for Agriculture, Bolu Owotomo said the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun acknowledges the plight of farmers occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and was passionate about alleviating their plights through various intervention programmes.
Owotomo gave kudos to the farmers who, in spite of the prevailing economic challenges, plant and process food for people’s consumption, thus contributing their quota in the government’s strive to ensure good security.
He implored farmers who are yet to benefit from the project to be patient as the distributions are being done in batches, enjoining the beneficiaries to join hands with FADAMA Team and make judicious use of the items to maximize the inherent profits.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Samuel Adeogun said over 10,000 farmers have been assisted in the previous distributions across the state and they have been sending good reports on how the project has bettered their lots.