The Ogun State government through the state Ministry of Agriculture is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), on food sufficiency after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stating this on Tuesday the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, while conducting the IITA team lead by Dr Ronaldson Okechukwu, round the Odeda Farm Settlement, in Odeda Local Government Area of the state.
Odedina stated that the state government needs the support of the international agency in all its agricultural activities such as the Anchor Borrowers Programme; planting material palliatives; youth programmes and all other activities.
The commissioner noted that the state would take advantage of its closeness to IITA to be part of all the agency programmes such as helping with technology and linking farmers in the state to many opportunities in the kitty of IITA.
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Odedina pointed out that the state government has cleared 45 hectares of land for planting at the Farm Institute which would be taken over by IITA.
“Our partner, IITA will be practically taken over this farm settlement, the oldest in the history of Nigeria. We have cleared 45 hectares of land for demonstration In weeks to come, agriculture in Ogun State will wear a new look, ” he added.
The commissioner said that his ministry received 2,000 bundles of improved cassava stem from IITA for farmers in the state.
Responding, Okechukwu said all there might be a shortage of food after the pandemic if much planting is not done in the year 2020.
He expressed satisfaction with facilities at the farm settlement, promising the agency’s readiness to partner with the state in the agricultural intervention.
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