Ogun will remain first in food value chain, says Agric Commissioner

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ogun state Dr. Samson Odedina has reiterated the determination of the Government to ensure that the state become a food hub in Africa with youths driving the agricultural food value chains in a sustainable profitable manner.

Dr. Odedina said this during a virtual seminar held in celebration of world food day titled ‘’ sustainable system for a brighter future’’ with other private stakeholders in the state this week Wednesday.

Odedina pointed that the impact of covid-19 has raised the consciousness of Nigerians to self food reliance for healthy living, stressed that more youths are now enrolling into farming scheme programme of the state with example of cassava, rice and broiler chicken farmers that have just graduated with the support of government.

He added that all the registering youths are subjected to training towards ensuring profitable agricultural business for empowerment sustainability to encouraging our younger ones into doing agribusiness, pointed that no one would be motivated into doing farming without being sure of constant means of livelihood in a sustainable way.

In his response to three key priority areas of the sector in the next 5-10 years, the commissioner said that he would want the state to take the lead in profitable agriculture with economic sustainability of the youths in the food value chains and the state becoming a training centre of modern technologies transfer to others in the sector.

He however enjoined all the private stakeholders in the state to take advantage of the friendly environment the state government is creating to enhance food productivity, adding that the ministry of Agriculture did not have a land to do farming, but rather rely on the strength of the people in production, processing and marketing.