Ogun State Government has disclosed plan to step up its partnership and engagement of climate smart agricultural practices to benefit all categories of farmers and turn the state to the official agro-processing zone of the country.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, speaking at the “Budget 2021 Media Parley” in Abeokuta explained that the ministry under his watch will improve on its agricultural programs and apply modern system of agricultural practice as well as irrigation farming to ensure food security in the state.
“Our Agricultural agenda is very much on course, we are going to step the game in 2021 with our engagement with the World Bank, IITA and particularly the African Development Bank in our renewed drive to make our dear State the official agro-processing zone.
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“We will also be looking at Climate Smart Agriculture because in other parts of the country, they are talking about the flood, however, in our state, we are only being confronted with drought, that means, were taking particular attention to irrigation facility in 2021 and these will guarantee the employment of more people”, he said.
Climate-smart agriculture involves farming practices that help farmers adapt to the negative effects of climate change to improve farm productivity and profitability.
Climate-smart practices includes, locally practiced agricultural conservation used in retaining crop residues for soil fertility, conserving soil moisture, and diversifying through rotation or intercropping.
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Odedina noted that the ministry will be looking at abandoned Agricultural activities of dam irrigation service to ensure farmers have all year round farming in the state to combat food insecurity during the dry seasons.
The commissioner added that the State’s Anchor Borrowers Programme will be expanded and that 10,000 hectares of land had been allocated to Cotton farmers in the state.
