In a significant event held at Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State officially kicked off the 2024 cropping season and distributed essential farm inputs to local farmers


In his address, Aiyedatiwa praised the resilience and hard work of Ondo State’s farmers, highlighting their crucial role in ensuring food security and contributing to the state’s economy.

Represented by his deputy, Chief Olayide Adelami, he emphasized his administration’s efforts to create a safe and enabling environment for farming activities, citing the effectiveness of security measures that have significantly reduced criminal activities in rural areas; while lauding  the collaboration between the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies  for enhancing safety in farming communities.

 

The governor detailed the various agricultural intervention programmes funded by his administration, including the Agricultural Inputs Supply Agency (AISA), Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Centre (OSAEC), and the Cocoa Revolution and Management Agency.

 He highlighted recent initiatives such as the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), aimed at improving access to farming communities and reducing post-harvest losses.

 

Governor Aiyedatiwa reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting farmers’ organizations and regenerating forest resources through massive tree planting.


 Emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards the exploitation of forest reserves, Aiyedatiwa used the occasion to warn  land encroachers and illegal loggers.

 

The governor encouraged residents to engage in agriculture in order to promote self-sufficiency in food production,as he assured continued support for agricultural development, noting that investors are welcomed to leverage Ondo State’s abundant resources for agricultural ventures.

 
The governor however, expressed his hope for a bountiful harvest in 2024 and called on all stakeholders to collaborate in making the cropping season a success.


Earlier in his welcome address, the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry,  Mr. Olayato Aribo highlighted the government’s commitment to agricultural development through  initiatives that are designed to support farmers amid rising costs and economic challenges.

He listed notable interventions to include the distribution of 1,200 tonnes of maize grains to livestock farmers and the provision of various farm inputs, including tricycles and power tillers, as palliatives.

The Commissioner underscored the administration’s efforts to support youth and vulnerable women through the LIFE-ND project, which benefited over 1,000 individuals in 2023, with more training and support planned for 2024.

Additionally,  the Ondo CARES programme distributed agricultural inputs to over 20,000 beneficiaries, promoting food security and environmental resilience.

According to him, Aiyedatiwa’s administration also approved the establishment of the Inputs Supply Agency (AISA) to ensure year-round availability of agricultural inputs, and collaborative efforts with federal agencies aimed to enhance climate prediction training and food security strategies.


Aribo called on investors to leverage the state’s conducive business environment to invest in the agricultural sector, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to providing technical and advisory services to boost agricultural production.

 He expressed gratitude to Governor Aiyedatiwa for his unwavering support for agriculture in Ondo State.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Food Security Committee, Mr. Wemimo Akinsola, informed that the committee had finalized plan to engage colleges across the senatorial districts of the state for production of basic foods for the state.

He emphasized the need to invite and provide the enabling environment for investors, saying “Agriculture is capacity, and capacity is agriculture “.

The event saw the Governor flagging off the free distribution of farm inputs and opening the sale of tree crop seedlings, including oil-palm, coconut, and cashew, produced by the Ministry’s Tree Crops Unit.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by dignitaries, farmers, and representatives of various agricultural organizations who all displayed their farm produce for exhibition.