AGRICULTURAL EMPOWERMENT: OSOPADEC Calls for Revitalization of Agricultural Sector in Catchment Areas
The Secretary, Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Princess Abike Bayo-llawole has requested for progressive partnership, empowerment training and revitalisation of the agricultural sector to reduce hardship in OSOPADEC catchment areas.
Princess llawole disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting with the Agbeladun Agricultural Empowerments Group held at the Commission’s Headquarters in Oba-Ile.
The meeting expressed the Commission’s readiness to partner with Agbeladun Agricultural Empowerments Group for agricultural development in its catchment areas towards massive investment in agriculture.
In her remark, OSOPADEC Secretary, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole identifies agriculture and massive food production as one of the key ways of impacting more on the lives of the people in the Coastal areas of the State.
Ilawole emphasized the importance of modernizing agricultural practices through continuous training and capacity building for the rural dwellers.
According to her, the training will have significant impact on the rural populace, where agriculture is the primary occupation. She reiterated that the Commission will also support the State Government in ensuring food security and stabilizing food prices in the State particularly in OSOPADEC mandate areas.
In her words, “Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas have been selected as the catchment areas for agricultural training and empowerment. Asides fishing, which is predominant in these areas, we also want to show other people in other parts of the State that we have fertile lands for farming.
“The partnership with Agbeladun Agricultural Empowerments Group will improve the agricultural production of tomatoes, pepper and onion in the catchment areas of the State”.
Earlier in his remark, the Chief Executive Officer of Agbeladun Agricultural Empowerments Group, Mr. Fadoju Olushola Franklin stated that the meeting was aimed at intimating the Commission about the activities of the NGO, especially in the areas of training farmers and revolutionizing agriculture in the catchment areas, the State and Nigeria at large.
According to him, the partnership with OSOPADEC will meddle the gap between the people getting values for agriculture and the dividend of agriculture at the local, State and Federal level.
In his words, “Ondo State has unique vegetation and climate across the three senatorial regions (the south, central and the north). This has made it possible for various crops to be successfully cultivated across the State, depending on their required climatic conditions.
“The maiden edition of the initiative commenced in the Central Senatorial District and we are planning on more trainings in the Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts where farmers will be trained in tomatoes, pepper and onion cultivation.
“We will assist the people through training, provision of soft loans, grants, inputs and palliatives from the government to the vulnerable like the widows, lepers, orphanage homes and the less-priviledged. The training will empower people to engage in tomatoes, pepper and onion production”.
Agbeladun Agricultural Empowerments Group is a Non-Governmantal Organisation in Ondo State that empowers and train farmers on agriculture. The NGO also engages in training programs that revitalise the agricultural sector to reduce hardship in the State.
