No fewer than 245 farmers in Ondo State have benefited under the Federal Government training and empowerment programme of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).
Temitope Fadeshemi, The Permanent Secretary of, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, made this known at the training and empowerment of the farmers on Wednesday in Akure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries are crop, fish, and poultry farmers, who received agricultural inputs as well as cash for logistics. Fadeshemi, who was represented by the State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Akeem Ogundeko, said that the gesture was to reduce biting poverty in the country and increase food sufficiency.
The programme, the permanent secretary said, was in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning to reflect the government’s commitment and reduce poverty at the grassroots.
“This programme is not merely an investment in agriculture, but it is an investment in the future of our nation.
“So, NPRGS reflects our government’s dedication to addressing poverty at its roots, emphasising the pivotal role agriculture plays in economic growth and development.
"So, today we are equipping our farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience, and embrace sustainable practices.
“And we are also laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector in the country,” he said.
The permanent secretary tasked the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge and skills gained during the training to improve their farming and to ensure food security in the state and the country at large.
Fadeshemi further urged farmers to embrace the opportunity to build a future where smallholder farmers were not just beneficiaries of progress, but active contributors to the nation’s growth.
Also, Edward Ogunmola, Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, appreciated the Federal Government for counting the state worthy to be part of the programme. Ogunmola charged the participants to make good use of the empowerment, saying the inputs would help them on their farm productions and also fight poverty.
Two of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Azeez Akinbamiro, from Idanre Local Government Area and Janet Ogedengbe, a poultry farmer from Akoko North-East, who both appreciated the gesture, applauded the Federal Government on its efforts at assisting the farmers.
The duo described the programme as laudable and appealed to the Federal Government to design other programmes that would be of benefit to farmers.