Hon. Abiodun Yinusa the Special Adviser on Agriculture and Food Security to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has doled out 5000 bags of fertilizer to South-West farmers to aid food production.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector, Agro processing and food production value chain were bolstered by the Renewed Hope Agricultural Intervention for Farmers facilitated by Hon. Yinusa at the official flag-off of the initiative in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mrs. Kudirat Ande who is the President of She-Farmers Initiative while appreciating the gesture, asserted that it is well received by clusters of respective farming groups whom had been brought together to receive the fertilizers, across the region and she appreciate the magnanimity of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to farmers.
She said it will go a long way in boosting food production and ensuring that there is also food security within the region.
The strategy is such that all uncultivated lands in South-West will be occupied and cultivated for food production so as to maximise this opportunity of giving farmers inputs to assist them in boosting their efforts.
She assured that all stakeholders in the Agro Processing field including All Farmers Association of Nigeria have resolved to come together to change the narratives and show much more commitments, which is the most potent tool towards getting massive supports for the Federal Government to commercialise the entire farming activities through strategic engagement of women and youths.
In her words, “Nigeria is a land that is blessed with so many commodities across the length and breath of Nigeria; each state is endowed with peculiar cash crops in abundance for local production as well as export which can boost our economy.
“We are determined to scale up farming activities by ensuring all women and men farmers come together to do commercial farming in order to bridge wide gap between subsistence farming and mechanised farming with necessary support from the government.
“We need to take ownership of this government which belongs to all of us and we should all embrace Nigeria as one united entity that is not divided by religion, by politics, by tribe and by other forms of divides”
The representatives of the SA to President on Agriculture and Food Security; Mr. Rafiu Lawal and Hon. Taiwo Ayedun (Shanana) in their goodwill messages assured the farmers of much more support from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
While admonishing all stakeholders to embrace this initiative that is being flag off in Lagos with intention to spread it across the entire South-West in the coming days.
“The government is ready and willing to closely work with farmers and other stakeholders in the Agro processing value chain by providing necessary support aimed at facilitating improved mechanised farming, capacity building, Agro processing equipment’s and ensuring consistent supply of agricultural inputs as well as other support services that will guarantee increase in food production.
“The fertilizers were presented to beneficiaries across board with assurance that other states within the region will begin to get their own bulk immediately.”