Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has launched an integrated digital support platform , the" Ogun State Farmer Information Management System "(OGFIMS) to offer one- stop resource to farmers and other value chain actors in the state.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina
during the launch at Oke-mosan in Abeokuta, stated that the digital agricultural initiative fits perfectly into the agricultural agenda of the state to support small holder farmers, enhance food security, nutrition security, job creation and linking manufacturers to the agricultural process.
The move was part of strategic effort to unleash the full potential of the agricultural sector and ensure farmers are linked to agricultural opportunities for better productivity,
He said through strategic partnership with private sector and intentional collaboration with all agencies that has the mandate and resources to support agriculture, the state government has been deliberately inclusive to ensure small holder farmers are not cut off from the opportunities created to drive sustainable supply to industries .
"We want to make Ogun State the center of agricultural excellence, so our small holder farmers can benefit from opportunities in programmes that will strengthen the value chain and this can only be done if data is available. That is what OGFIMS is aiming at ", Odedina said.
On his part, his counterpart in Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabimtan, commended the initiative adding that government was interested in new ideas that would enhance the agricultural potentials of the state.
He said that OGFIMS would add value to the states agricultural road map as it would enhance linking stakeholders to opportunities and updating them with information on agricultural best practices.
In her good will message, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr Mrs Angel Adelaja-Kuye , posited that the digital platform which would serve as database and repository of information and knowledge would keep farmers informed of new agricultural policies, events , training and business opportunities among others.
Also speaking, the OGSTEP Task Team Lead from World Bank, Abel Lufafa emphasised the need for all stakeholders to work together to ensure the success of OGFIMS noting that accessing farmers for future development would demand a lot of information.
Dr Lava Kumar, the lead project consultant, OGFIMS and lead GermPlasm Health unit, IITA, explained that the digital platform was a one-stop resource for information, communication, coordination , registration of farmers and value chain actors , mapping, advisory, e-marketing and other applications to improvbe the agriculture and agric business sector in the state.hb
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