The Federal Government has selected Ogun State, South West, Nigeria, as one of the six states that will benefit from the Value Chain Development Programme.
This is to effectively develop the agriculture sub sector of the state economy through rice and cassava value added chains.
This disclosure was made by the Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ronke Sokefun, during the stakeholders’ forum on the Value Chain Development Programme, held at Oba’s Complex in Abeokuta the state capital.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, the Commissioner also noted that the State Government would continue to invest hugely in agricultural development, especially in the area of cassava and rice production.
Speakers at the event, however, identified some of the constraints facing the agricultural sector in the country, such as low agricultural productivity, poor access to production-enhancing inputs, inadequate agro processing, limited access to capital among others.
The representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Muyiwa Akintola, then took out time to explain what the government is doing to address these challenges as the current fall in the price of oil, which is the major foreign earner of the Federal Government, further highlights the need to further develop the agricultural sector of the economy.
Experts have advised that if fully exploited, agriculture remains the most formidable sector that could pull the country out of the economic doldrums, ensure food security and generate employment.
Other states to benefit from the value chain development programme include Anambra, Ebonyi and Niger states.
