Kunle Adelabu
As part of the HOA GLORY Agenda of the Executive Chairman, Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (IBLCDA), Omo’ba Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun, the council on Monday flagged -off its agricultural development initiative to encourage farmers especially in the area of rice to boost food production and security.
The council is encouraging farmers to take advantage of the body of water surrounding the council and the swampy nature of a large section of the terrain in IBLCDA.
To achieve this, the administration of Omo’ba Hammed Aroyewun empowered farmers with rice seed, knapsack sprayer, insecticide, fertilizers, as well as rice milling machine, at an event held at the IBLCDA Secretariat, Igbogbo. The rice farmers are among the over 100 farmers that were empowered by the administration with farm implements and training.
Hon. Idris Ogunyemi, the Supervisor for Agriculture, IBLCDA, who said that the farmers that have been arranged into clusters would be trained in modern techniques, also added the realisation that there is limited land for farming propelled the council to encourage rice farming on water and in the swampy areas.
“As we all know that we are actually surrounded by swamp and water bodies. And also, another thing is that we realised that we have limited land to farm in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, therefore, under the leadership of my principal, we intend to encourage people that live close to the swampy areas to make good use of it.”
“As part of our clusters, we have included those from Beiyeku, Igbe Laara and some other places. So, we want to encourage some of them to go into rice farming, which is an opportunity because we have swamps all over and around Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA. This is part of our ways of encouraging our farmers and improving our food production.”
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To emphasise the importance of the policy initiative and empowerment to the administration, Hon Ogunyemi added, “We are real farmers in Igbogbo/Baiyeku and my chairman has decided to empower us. We want to encourage our people that are close to water bodies to go into rice farming.
Also, we want to train people on how to make good use of the available space even as limited as it is in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA. We want to teach us and introduce us to modern techniques that you can make use of and let us know that with the small land area that we have, that we can still engage ourselves in vegetable farming profitably.”
The Supervisor for Agriculture emphasised that the initiative is to aid families to produce what they eat and at the same time derive economic power from farming. He encourages beneficiaries to make good use of the farm implements they have been supported with.
“Basically, through this, we’ll be able to feed ourselves, feed our families, and if there is excess production, we can sell to our neighbours and the community at large.
The chairman, in his kindness, has also decided to distribute farm inputs both for the rice farmers and also for the vegetable farmers in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA. These are for selected and registered vegetable and rice farmers in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, and I want us to make good use of this opportunity.”
Omo’ba Hammed Aroyewun, Executive Chairman, IBLCDA in an interview explained that the initiative was designed to encourage and support farmers, describing agriculture as a critical sector for the economic development of the country and the council area.
He noted that agriculture remained a major priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Development Agenda of Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his administration’s Glory Agenda, stressing that the council considered it necessary to support farmers by providing essential inputs to make their agricultural activities easier and more productive.
“So, we deemed it fit that we must encourage and support our farmers in our own little way. That’s why we have made these items available for them to make their activities and business seamless. Agriculture is a business and a major one. So, we have made available every logistics that is needed for them to thrive in their business. This is what we have done to make it comfortable for them,” he said.
