The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), has trained and distributed rice production inputs to farmers in the south-west zone of the country in a bid to increase rice production.
During the exercise, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture, stated that the federal government, through the ministry, has implemented a variety of agricultural programs and projects to ensure food security and long-term economic growth in the country.
The minister was represented by Bashir Usman, Deputy Director and National Coordinator for Rice Value Chain, while the occasion was held at Moor Plantation, Ibadan, with the presence of farmers’ representatives from Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, and Lagos states.
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Abubakar recalled that the ministry has introduced an array of agricultural programs and projects to ensure food security and the long-term economic growth of the nation through the promotion of various value chains.
“Presently, the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development is committed to making the sector a pivot for economic stabilization by diversifying, generating employment, and creating wealth in the country.”
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Speaking further, he added that the ministry has also organized a two-day training for rice farmers across the south-west states on good agricultural practices and the safe and effective use of agrochemicals to ensure food security in Nigeria.
The Oyo State Coordinator, FMARD, Dr. Kakulu Omonele, while delivering her speech, admonished participants to make the best use of the training and that they should try to step it down to others in their various associations.
The National Vice-President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Victor Korede, and his associate from the south-west, Olayinka Ogunlaja, jointly appreciated the federal government for intensifying efforts to ensure that agricultural inputs and knowledge on best practices were provided to farmers.
