Kwara govt moves to improve food security, hosts stakeholders, vigilante groups on farming initiative
The Kwara State Government on Wednesday held a critical meeting with stakeholders and heads of vigilante groups of Nigeria in a bid to cluster farming initiatives to address food security in the country.
Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, while speaking at the meeting, disclosed that the cluster farming initiative is aimed at achieving food sufficiency in the state and the country at large, adding that the importance of the engagement meeting is to deliberate on the best model that can be adopted to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, especially the present administration’s planned programmes and its policy thrust in the sector.
The Commissioner, who described cluster farming as a catalyst for achieving food security as well as security of life and properties of the people, stressed the importance of the stakeholders in ensuring proper dissemination of the initiative by highlighting its advantages in the security of the farm, access to land for farming, access to quality inputs and extension services, market linkage and good road network, among others.
She also emphasised the critical role of the vigilante group in the project, saying it has been a proven model in the previous programme in the state, and solicited their support for the programme’s success.
On his part, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Hon. Abubakar Bata, charged the Local Governments Directors of Personnel Management (DPM) and Development Officers (DO) in attendance to ensure that the outcome of the meeting is trickled down to their various communities at the grassroots level.
He tasked the vigilante groups to work with other security agencies to have a well-secured society and food security in the state, pointing out that the state government would soon commence another phase of farm inputs distribution that would be handled by a consultant to ensure fairness and unbiased exercise.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Yunusa Lade, said the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, is at the forefront of the present administration’s renewed hope on food security, describing it as the major reason to ensure that cluster farming initiative works in the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Funke Sokoya, urged the stakeholders to promptly avail the Ministry of useful information that can assist the government in implementing its programmes.
The representative of the DPM, Mrs Felicia Aina, said all Local Governments in the state are duty-bound to make government policies and programmes work at the grassroot and pledged their unreserved support for the programme’s success.
Speaking on behalf of the Development Officers, Mr Haruna Likpata called for synergy among the people involved in the programme for a successful outcome.
Also speaking on behalf of the Vigilante Groups, Mr James Bello pleaded for government assistance in providing ammunition for an improved security network in the state.
The Informant247 reports that the Kwara State House of Assembly, during the Tuesday plenary, asked the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to direct the Ministry of Agriculture to look into the possibility of introducing subsidy on pesticides, herbicides and other farm inputs to reduce their prices as a way to promote cultivation of crops in large scale and ensuring availability of food across the state.
