Farmers in Ogun State have been enjoying free agro-inputs and assets in the pilot phase of distribution of incentives under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES FADAMA RA2) project, to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on poor farmers’ means of livelihood.

 The project, which is a State government’s drive in collaboration with the Federal Government and World Bank had benefited farmers from six Local Government Areas, namely; Ijebu North and Odogbolu (Ogun East), Odeda and Obafemi Owode, (Ogun Central), as well as Yewa North and Ado-Odo/Ota, (Ogun West).

Presenting the incentives to beneficiaries in Yewa-North Local Government Secretariat, Aiyetoro, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Dotun Sorunke, reiterated the importance of the project and objectives of OGUN CARES progamme in fulfillment of one of the cardinal points of the present administration in attaining higher food production and food security.

Odedina said the distribution exercise had earlier kicked started at Ado-Odo/Ota and Ijebu-North Local Government Secretariats in Ota and  Ijebu-Igbo respectively, adding that the beneficiaries were given three weaners (pigs), three sheep and goats, two bags of 50kg fertilisers and herbicides and garri processing equipment, rice processing equipment, among others.

“Today, our farmers have seen that this project is real. It is aimed at supporting a little below 21,000 farmers across the State. Many farmers lost their means of livelihood to COVID-19, but with adequate utilisation of these inputs, within six months to one year, your farming businesses will bounce back because the agro-inputs will surely boost your farming and these animals will reproduce massively”, he said.

In her welcome address, the Project Manager, OGUN-CARES FADAMA RA2, Mrs. Solape Awe, applauded the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for supporting the Federal Government and the World Bank in the implementation of the project, to empower pro-poor and vulnerable farmers, as well as those in agricultural value-chain with emphasis on youths and women who were adversely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

She noted that “OGUN CARES is a multi-sectorial programme and the agricultural aspect is being implemented by FADAMA platform, in four Delivery Link Indicators (DLIs), which are, Agricultural Inputs and Services, Labour-Intensive Agricultural Infrastructure, Agricultural Assets for Production and Mitigating food loss and waste, as well as Upgrading of wet markets to function safely to empower 20,922 farmers in all the Local Government Areas of the State within two years”.

In his remark, the Chairman, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Hon. Sheriff  Musa, lauded the effort of government for kick-starting the input distribution in the area to alleviate the plight of farmers, noting that Ota was in a vantage position over others, based on its large urban and agrarian population and large arable land for agriculture, as well as the industrial hub of the State which opens ready-market for farm produce.

Contributing, his counterpart in Yewa North Local Government, Hon. Gabriel Ogunyomi said consideration for women and youths in the project was laudable,  charging the farmers to make the best use of the inputs and assets to better their lives and improve the economy of the State.

Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mr. Titus Lasilo from Ado-Odo/ Ota Farmers Community Association, and Mrs. Monsurat Omoniyi from Agbejere Farmers’ Association, Joga Orile, expressed joy for the initiative, saying it would turn their lots around, and promised to utilise the inputs judiciously.