•Distributes Drip Irrigation Materials To Tackle Drought Challenge
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has said the attempt to make food a weapon of war by some individuals has underscored the need to be food-sufficient in the state.
Governor Akeredolu, who emphasized the need to be proactive, stressed that the task requires the involvement of all and sundry, urging the people to participate more in farming.
While distributing drip lines, seeds, seed trays, fertilizers and other inputs to farmers and some secondary schools, the Governor said the move was part of his commitment to boost food security and address the problem occasioned by drought as experienced for ten weeks in the year 2020.
He stated that the distribution exercise was another landmark effort of his administration at bequeathing to the State a legacy of food sufficiency and zero tolerance to food crisis.
He noted that his administration’s resolve is to make food available to all and sundry through provision of sustainable agricultural materials to farmers of different categories in the State.
Governor Akeredolu spoke on Tuesday at the Flag Off of the Sale of Subsidized Agricultural Materials to the State Farmers and Distribution of Drip Irrigation Materials to Ondo State Secondary Schools held at the premises of the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Center (OSAEC) Alagbaka, Akure.
While identifying the adverse effects of the recurring herdsmen/Farmer crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic on the rate of the developmental efforts in agriculture, the Governor said his administration will leave no stone unturned in putting an end to the malaise with a view to boosting agricultural productivity.
“The need for us to be proactive has become expedient, more so, to forestall the problem of drought as experienced last year and to keep farming activities for at least three cycles per year.
“In response to this, our administration has deemed it fit to alleviate the challenges of farmers in the State through procurement of agricultural tools and machinery such as planters, maize shellers, irrigation equipment, inputs and seedlings, “Governor Akeredolu said.
Arakunrin Akeredolu said in fulfillment of his electioneering promise, the state is gradually moving away from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation system so that the farmers can plant all-year-round, noting that with irrigation, the farms will be adequately watered and the challenge of drought will be confronted head-on.
“This is the reason we are distributing drip irrigation kits and other ancillary materials to our schools for them to establish their food crops and vegetables farms.
“We are going to follow up schools that benefit from this programme. There will be reward for success and sanction for failure. We are also poised to make maize available to our poultry farmers. That is why our government is making available simple planting and shelling equipment. In essence, we can practice agriculture without stress,” the Governor said.
