USAID partners Adeyemi College on farm initiative

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced plans to provide technical assistance in the area of agriculture to members of staff and students of Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo.

The West African Regional Director of Winrock International, Mr Mike Bassey, whose organisation serves as the intermediary between USAID and beneficiary institutions, said it would boost food production and the economic capacity of beneficiaries.

While giving some background information on the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) initiative, he disclosed that the US agency “offers free technical assistance to farmers, agribusinesses, education and extension providers in developing countries to promote sustainable improvement in the agricultural sector.”

Bassey disclosed that over 50 African countries, including Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal had benefitted from the programme.

He explained that the F2F programme was conceived by USAID with aim of equipping new generation of agricultural educators, technicians, farmers and agribusinesses to enable them address evolving challenges facing agricultural sector in all the countries.

The Provost of the college, Dr Samuel Akintunde, expressed appreciation to USAID for approving the college as one of the prospective beneficiaries of the programme.

While seeking further assistance to the college in other areas, Akintunde said the programme would assist in taking the institution to another higher level.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fast-tracking development of the college and expressed optimism that it would be to the economic and food security benefit of the state and Nigeria as a whole.