From Azeez Olorunlomeru, Abeokuta

In a bid to ease the economic hardship and prepare for the new planting season, no fewer than 5,910 farmers in the Ogun West Senatorial District have received trainings in modern agricultural practices, seedlings, and farming equipment to further boost the food security of the state and the nation at large.

The farmers also went home with a cash grant of N100,000 to enable them to focus on their farming rather than trade away the inputs.
The senator, representing the senatorial district, Solomon Adeola, who spoke at the two-day training in Ilaro, said that the programme was targeted at addressing some of the challenges faced by farmers.

He noted that assisting and supporting farmers is expedient, which stems from the President’s desire for farmers nationwide to operate at least three farming seasons in a year.

Adeola said that the reforms associated with the oil subsidy regime and the foreign exchange market have yielded the expected results, and the economy is on course to sustain growth.

The State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, said that the programme was part of the conscious efforts of the government to empower farmers at the grassroots.

“This is not just an empowerment of farmers but also an investment in the future of Ogun State,” she said.

Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Olusola Kehinde, commended the organisers, saying that the university is open to further collaboration in training and empowering farmers to alleviate poverty and hardship in the state.