Ogun to partner private sectors to boost agricultural outputs

The Ogun State Government, has disclosed that the state will partner the private investors to enhance mechanized agriculture and boost its productivity, so as to achieve large quantities of farm produce.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo who stated this in familiarisation tour of Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR), Eriwe Farm village, Atiba, Ijebu-Ode, noted that apart from significantly boosting the sector, such a step would generate more innovations for the development of the sector.

Owotomo, this, he said, according to Mr. Gbenga Moronfolu, the Press Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, will boost productivity and move farmers away from unproductive usage of traditional farming implements such as hoes and cutlasses, noting that it will also promote commercial agriculture and improve farmers’ income and standard of living.

“With the demand for storage, processing, logistics and other related services becoming increasingly important, many employment opportunity will emerge from the farm”, he said.

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He urged those in the Agricultural sector to engage in cluster farming as this would have positive impacts on their income, employment generation and well-being of workers and entrepreneurs, assuring that the government would take proactive steps to safeguard farmers’ investment and all hands must be on deck to ensure that the state has a sustainable Agricultural system.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Samuel Adeogun stressed the need for those in the sector to work with the government to improve Agriculture for food sufficiency in the State and beyond.

Speaking earlier, the General Manager, IDIPR, Dr. Marcus Adeniyi appealed to the government to help resolve disputes over Land ownership, lack of storage and steady market as well as funding.

Meanwhile, the commissioner also took time off to visit the Poultry Multiplication Project in Emuren Ijebu, where he promised to look into the problem of Power confronting them.