The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in conjunction with the Ondo State government, has distributed farm inputs as palliatives to give succor to farmers affected by floods in the state in order for them not to lose interest in their various enterprises.
Flagging off the distribution of the items in Akure, the state commissioner for agriculture and forestry, Olayato Aribo, appreciated the IFAD/LIFE-ND for the gesture, disclosing that the farmers were thoroughly assessed and selected for the exercise.
The commissioner implored all the beneficiaries of the palliative to make judicious use of the inputs collected so that the effort of the donor agency would be handsomely rewarded in encouraging food security and employment generation.
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According to Aribo, IFAD provided 5000 day old chicks, 280 bags of broiler starter, 280 bags of fish feeds of various sizes, and 84 bags of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer for distribution to the affected beneficiaries of about 50 graduate incubatees to mitigate their losses.
The state coordinator of the IFAD/LIFE-ND Project, in Ondo State, Olawale Ademola, noted that the IFAD/LIFE-ND Project decided to procure the inputs through the project “livelihood improvement enterprises in the Niger Delta” to support flood victims in the state, and encourage them to continue farming.
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Also speaking was the technical assistant to the national project coordinator, LIFE-ND Project, Bunmi Ogunleye, who pointed out that the essence of the event was to ensure that inputs and palliatives that were bought to support the flood victims are properly given to the affected beneficiaries in Ondo State.
“With these inputs we are giving them, they will be able to sustain their businesses, and no less than 50 people benefited from the palliatives,” Ogunleye said.
