Taiwo Bankole
About 160 women farmers from eight local government areas of Ogun State, under the Value Chain Development Programme on Tuesday received 480 chickens and 2,160 garden seedlings, to boost food production across the state.
Beneficiaries were drawn from Odeda, Obafemi-Owode, Ifo, Odogbolu, Ijebu North-East, Yewa South, Yewa North and Ijebu East Local Government Areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo while speaking during the programme held at the office of Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, said the initiative was to improve the livelihood of women farmers and enhance the well-being of the people.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye, the Commissioner said, “Empowering women in agriculture with tools and resources is the way to go because of its impact in our deliberate moves to boost food production in the state and country at large.
“What we are doing today will not only boost household income but also increase the availability of eggs for consumption and reduce malnutrition, thereby improving nutrition, as well as building a healthier society.
“Our women’s commitment to agriculture and resilience are remarkable. You are the backbone of our rural economy and through your efforts, Ogun State will continue to achieve food security and economic prosperity.
“The initiative will increase household income, with the potential for families to produce more eggs to meet their nutritional needs, create the opportunity to sell surplus eggs, boost their overall well-being, as well as enable them to eat fresh, organic produce to ensure a better control of their diet with continuous access to animal protein in a sustainable manner”.
Coordinator of VCDP, Temitope Ajisafe, stressed that empowering women in the state, especially in the area of nutrition of every household, would boost productivity and help to create healthy families.
Ajisafe said that the categories of women beneficiaries include nursing mothers, youths, adults and pregnant women.
She explained that each beneficiary was given three chickens, along with their feeds, varieties of home garden seedlings and fertilisers, urging them to adhere strictly to instructions on how to use them.
The Acting Programme Manager, OGADEP, Mrs. Victoria Shobande, said the chickens and seedlings distributed such as banana, orange, and sweet brown potato, among others, were carefully selected because of their high nutritional value, imploring beneficiaries to nurture them well to fully enjoy the benefits.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mrs Oluwafemi Olabiran and Mrs Barakat Olubaje, from Ijebu East and Odeda Local Government Areas respectively, appreciated the state government, promising that each household would make good use of the item distributed to enhance their nutrition.
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