Ogun State Government has pledged continuous collaboration with Heifer International, to unlock its economic potential for food sufficiency targeted at alleviating hunger and poverty,
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, who made this known during a meeting with the Interim Country Director, Nigeria, Heifer International, Dr. Lekan Tobe, in Abeokuta, said the collaboration would deepen the relationship between the state government and the organisation.
Owotomo, who said the meeting was in continuation of previous collaboration with the company when he was the General Manager of the State Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), noted that there was need to design and implement programmes that directly benefit farmers, adding that the priority of government was to increase farmers productivity and income, develop value chain, support the inclusion of youth and women in the agricultural sector and optimise existing agricultural assets in the state.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Tobe explained that Heifer's intervention was aimed at reducing post-harvest loses (cold hubs) and increasing access to market, saying the organisation's mission was to work with communities to end hunger and poverty by providing animals, training and technical assistance which would ensure food security in the state.
"The overall goal is to ensure farmers achieve sustainable living income through a variety of interventions that would build the relevant skills and improve their resilience to climate change and other socio-economic shocks", he said.
Also present at the meeting was the Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture, Dr. Angel Kuye and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Adeogun.
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