Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture says it has registered over 70,000 farmers with the Anchor Borrowers Programme, just as over 40,000 small holders farmers with Anchor / agro-processors have also been enrolled.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, stated this at the on-going budget performance appraisal of Ministries, Departments and Agencies by the members of the State House of Assembly’s Committee on Agriculture and Forestry led by Hon. Sylvester Abiodun at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Odedina noted that the Ministry had disbursed over N700m to 3,500 cassava farmers through the Central Bank of Nigeria in the first phase.
He added that the Ministry had ensured the linkage of 5,000 farmers to credit facility and land, while over 1,300 rice farmers had also been brought on board.
The Commissioner listed the sites of the agricultural programmes to include Asa, Ewekoro, Obafemi town, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Odeda farm Institute, Apojola, all in Ogun Central; Mamu, Awa, Oru, Ojowo, Ijebu-Igbo, Ikenne Diary farm, Alamure Atoba, Segan Village, Akaka Remo, Omu Gbawojo, in Ogun East, while the sites in the Ogun West include Imeko, Afon Farm Estate, Imeko (Idose) Ayetoro and Itoro amongst others.
Odedina explained that the Ministry within the period under review generated the sum of N50.2m into the coffers of government.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Tunji Akinosi, said the Ministry, within the period under review, has successfully apprehended those engaging in flitches production and illegal felling of trees and farming within the forest reserves especially Omo Forestry Reserve.
He disclosed that in the cause of the operation, over 40 truckloads of illegal billets/ logs and 5,000 flitches were confiscated, with N2.5m realised from fine within the period.
The Commissioner noted that the sum of N64.2m was generated within the period, while it had leveraged on the Federal Government window to be part of the REDD+ Program, following the State’s enlistment on the program with the establishment of a REDD+ Secretariat in the State.
Other related agencies that had their 2020 budget performance appraised by the lawmakers included the State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP), State Cassava Revolution Programme, State Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), State Agro-Services Corporation and the State Forestry Plantation Project (Area J4).
